US3923092A - Apparatus arranged after a continuous casting installation for releasing a thread-like casting connection - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus arranged following a continuous casting installation for the purpose of releasing a thread-like casting connection of a dummy bar head, wherein a dummy bar receiver has associated therewith a rotary or turning mechanism with a substantially form-locking receiving opening for a cropped end of the strand possessing the thread-like casting connection.

Description

United States Patent Bollig et al.

Dec. 2, 1975 APPARATUS ARRANGED AFTER A CONTINUOUS CASTING INSTALLATION FOR RELEASING A THREAD-LIKE CASTING CONNECTION lnventors: Georg Bollig, Meerbusch; Willi Simons, Dusseldorf, both of Germany Assignee: Schloemann-Siemag Aktiengesellschaft, Dusseldorf, Germany Filed: Jan. 28, 1974 Appl. No.: 437,496

Foreign Application Priority Data Feb. 2, 1973 Germany 2305038 US. Cl. 164/274 Int. Cl. B22D 11/08 Field of Search 164/274, 269, 263, 282;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,544,639 3/1951 Calhoun 8l/57.16 3,025,733 3/1962 Soodnizin 81/57.16 3,612,148 10/1971 waldschmidtny. 164/263 3,698,469 10/1972 Greenberger 164/274 Primary Examiner-Francis S. Husar Assistant ExaminerJohn S. Brown Attorney, Agent, or FirmWerner W. Kleeman [5 7] ABSTRACT An apparatus arranged following a continuous casting installation for the purpose of releasing a thread-like casting connection of a dummy bar head, wherein a dummy bar receiver has associated therewith a rotary or turning mechanism with a substantially formlocking receiving opening for a cropped end of the strand possessing the thread-like casting connection.

4 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures U.S. Pateht Dec 2, 1975 Sheet 2 of3 3,923,092

' U.S. Patent U Dec.v2, 1975 Shet 3 of3 APPARATUS ARRANGED AFTER A CONTINUOUS CASTING INSTALLATION FOR RELEASING A THREAD-LIKE CASTING CONNECTION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a new and improved construction of apparatus arranged after a continuous casting installation for releasing a thread-shaped or thread-like casting connection from a dummy bar head of a dummy bar.

According to a known construction of continuous casting installation for billets, the mushroom-shaped withdrawing head is coupled by a rotary or turning connection with the dummy bar head. Following the withdrawing means or withdrawal rollers there is arranged a mechanism fordecoupling the turning or rotary connection, which mechanism possesses a rotatable receiving means with a form opening as the throughpassage for a head formed in accordance with the opening and which head is provided with a stepped shaft of the mushroom-shaped withdrawing head. This type of casting connection is expensive and complicated, and the specially fabricated mushroom-shaped withdrawing head is destroyed after each pour or casting. Also expensive and complicated is the release mechanism which is guided by clamping at the strand and equipped with a pivoting device actuated by a pressurized medium. The connection and the release mechanism are not sufficiently operationally reliable under the encountered rough casting conditions. Finally, the connections cannot be used when working with small casting shapes or formats.

Commercially available screws or threaded bolts have become known in the art as constituting economically feasible and robust casting connections, the threading of which is threadably connected into the head of the dummy bar and about such head steel is cast. This type of connection is also usable with small casting cross-sections. In so doing, it is conventional practice to crop or shear the cast strand following the withdrawing and straightening mechanism and to manually screw-out from the threading of the dummy bar head the casting screw or bolt connected with the cropped end. The screwing-out operation is cumbersome, requires a great deal of effort and is associated with the danger of accidents, since the threading is contaminated or fouled by cinders or scale and dust and consequently only can be released with great difficulty. Additionally, the operating personnel is subjected to the radiant heat.

There are also known to the art different thread-like casting connections, for instance one wherein its connection portion is thread-like cast. For this purpose the dummy bar head is equipped with appropriate internal threading.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Hence, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved construction of apparatus for automatically and positively threading-out the casting connection of a dummy bar head.

Yet a further significant object of the present invention aims at the provision of a new and improved construction of apparatus for releasing a thread-like casting connection for detaching the dummy bar head from the casting in a safe and reliable manner, with a minimum of effort, and without any appreciable danger to the operator.

Now in order to implement these and still further objects of the invention, which will become more readily apparent as the description proceeds, the invention contemplates that a dummy bar receiver has associated therewith a rotary or turning mechanism with a substantially form-locking receiving opening for a cropped end of the strand or casting exhibiting the thread-like casting connection. In this way, the casting connection can be rapidly screwed-out without the need to carry out any manual work. The danger of accidents associated with manual work is therefore effectively eliminated.

According to a further manifestation of the invention, a rotary head of the rotary mechanism is constructed as a claw or claw means which is open at one side, in the lateral opening of which there can be introduced and removed the cropped end. Due to lateral displacement of the dummy bar, the cropped end arrives at the claw opening and after threading-out the casting screw such cropped end falls into a scrap chute or scrap container.

In order to prevent the bending of the casting screw during premature tipping of the cropped end, the claw or claw means can be equipped with a fall-out or dropout safety device. As the fall-out safety device there can be provided, at the side flanks of the claw opening, recesses corresponding to the so-called pointed edge position or pyramid position of the cropped end, i.e., a position of the cropped end wherein the diagonal connecting diametrically oppositely situated corners of the cropped end are located in said recesses, wherein the cropped end has associated therewith a stop which is effective in a direction opposite to the screw-out direction, and which stop limits movement of the cropped end in the vertical fall-out position.

The tipping of the cropped end prior to the complete screwing-out of the casting screw can be prevented in that the fall-out safety device of the claw is constructed as a laterally open cover and is freely pivotably mounted at the same axis of rotation as the rotary head. The pivotal movement of a sleeve defining the cover and provided with a projection is limited by stops associated therewith between a position which closes the claw opening in the fall-out direction and a position which opens such claw opening. Finally, a further advantage of the invention is realized in that the dummy bar receiving means or receiver is equipped with an anti-turning safety device for the dummy bar. In this way there is prevented that the dummy bar will be entrainably rotated in the case of heavy or high pitch threads.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above, will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings illustrating different exemplary embodiments of the invention, and wherein:

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates the arrangement of a release apparatus or mechanism at the end of a dummy bar receiving means;

FIG. 2 schematically illustrates another arrangement of release apparatus or mechanism with dummy bar receiving means displaceable parallel to the run-out roller table or roller assembly;

FIG. 3 illustrates a release apparatus or mechanism viewed in the direction of the cast strand;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the release mechanism depicted in FIG. 3;

FIGS. a to 50 show different working positions of a rotary claw with pivotable cover; and

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view through a casting connection which is to be released or disconnected by means of the apparatus of this development.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Describing now the drawings, it is to be recognized that at the region of a run-out roller table or set of rollers l, of a continuous casting installation for producing, for instance, billets, there is arranged a cutter or separation device 2 for subdividing the cast strand or casting 3. In the arrangement depicted by way of example in FIG. 1, the run-out roller table 1 has arranged thereafter a cooling bank or bed 4 at which there are transversely conveyed away the cast strand sections. Behind the cooling bank or bed 4 there is arranged a receiver or receiving means 5 for a dummy bar 6.

As best seen by referring to FIG. 6, there is provided as the thread-like or thread-shaped casting connection between the casting or strand 3 and the dummy bar head 6 of the dummy bar 6, a casting screw or threaded bolt 7. The latter is threaded into the dummy bar head 6 and the screw or bolt head 8 has steel cast therearound. In order to release the connection between the strand 3 and the dummy bar 6, this strand is cropped or cut by means of the cutter or shearing device 2 directly behind the screw or bolt head 8 around which there has been cast the steel or other metal being cast. Between the cooling bank or bed 4 and the dummy bar receiver 5 there is arranged a rotary or turning mechanism 9 with a positive or form-locking opening, that is to say, a claw 9' which is accommodated to the cross-section of the billet, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. Through such claw 9' there is conveyed the dummy bar 6 into the receiver 5, wherein the cropped end 30 of the strand 3 remains at the region of the rotary or turning mechanism 9. Thereafter the cropped end 30 of the casting or strand is rotated by the rotary or turning mechanism 9 until the casting screw 7 is screwed out of the head 6' of the dummy bar 6 and the connection is released. The croped end 30 then can be removed from the rotary mechanism 9 and conveyed away. The dummy bar 6 is equipped with a new casting screw 7 and is introduced into the continuous casting installation for the next pour or casting.

With the arrangement according to FIG. 2, a dummy bar receiver 10 is arranged in front of a cooling bank or bed 11 and transversely displaceable at the region of a rotary or turning mechanism 12 arranged laterally of the run-out table 1.

Now by referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, there will be recognized the details of a preferred construction of rotary or turning mechanism. It consists of a housing 13 in which there is mounted at rollers 16 a rotary or turning head equipped with a sprocket gear rim or sprocket wheel 14. The rotary or turning head 15 possesses an opening in the form of the claw 9'. Flanged to the housing 13 is a worm gearing or drive 17 which is connected with a drive shaft or drive arrangement 18. A sprocket gear or wheel 19 is secured to a shaft 17 of the worm drive 17, and which sprocket gear 19 drives the sprocket gear or wheel 14 through the agency of a chain 20 or equivalent structure.

The rotary or turning head 15 is constructed as a hollow sleeve 15' which is open at one end. This sleeve is provided at its end with inserts 21 accommodated to the profile or shape of the cast billet 3 and such inserts possess the shape of claws and can be exchanged when changing the shape of the cast strand or billet. In order that the axis of rotation of the rotary or turning head 15, during changes in the format or shape of the casting, coincides with the axis of the connecting screw or bolt 7, the thread hole or bore 6" in the dummy bar 6 always must be provided with a constant spacing from the support surface. The housing 13 can be, however, arranged so as to be adjustable in elevation in order that the screw or bolt axis for all formats or shapes can be centrally arranged at the casting.

At the side flanks of the inserts 21 there are machined or otherwise worked recesses 22 corresponding to the pointed edge or pyramid position of the strand 3 as previously explained, and into which recesses there is inserted the cropped end 30 of the strand 3 upon turning-out or screwing-out the screw or bolt 7 and thus secured against tipping.

An impact or stop lever 24 is mounted at a stationary bracket or console 23, this stop lever 24 being retained by means of a spring 25 or the like in a substantially horizontal position. After screwing out the connecting screw or bolt 7 the rotary or turning head 15 is turned somewhat past the fall-out or dropout position and subsequently again turned back therein. During turning back of the rotary or turning head the cropped end 30 of the casting comes to bear against the end face or end 24' of the lever 24 and is rotated out of the recesses 22 into the position depicted in FIG. 3 which is parallel to or in alignment with the drop-out or fall-out opening 21' of the inserts 21, through which such cropped end is capable of dropping out without obstruction into a not particularly illustrated scrap trough or the like. In the screw-out direction the rotational movement of the cropped end 30 of the casting is not hindered by the impact or stop lever 24, since the cropped end rocks such stop lever 24 downwardly out of the rotational or turning region.

The dummy bar receivers 5 and 10 are equipped with an upper covering serving as an anti-rotation securing means 10' (FIG. 4) which secures the dummy bar 6 against being rotatably entrained.

In the showing of FIGS. 5a to 50, there is illustrated in principle a rotary or turning head 26 equipped with a laterally opened covering or cover 29 serving as the fall-out securing device, the opening of which has been generally indicated by reference character 29'. This covering or cover 29 encloses the rotary head 26 and possesses the same rotational axis as such rotary or turning head and is freely pivotable between two stops 27 and 28. A cropped or sheared end 30 of the casting is pushed from the side into the claw means 31 of the rotary or turning head 26 and rotated in counterclockwise direction, as best recognized by referring to FIG. 5a. Consequently, the covering 29 is entrained until a projection 32 impacts against the stop 28 and the fallout or dropout region 40 is closed, as best seen by referring to FIG. 5b. After the turning out or screwing out of the casting screw or bolt 7, the rotary or turning head 26 is rotated in the opposite direction, with the result that the projection 32 of the covering or cover 29 is entrained up to the region of the other stop 27 and the fall-out direction or opening 40 for the cropped end 30 is freed, as best seen by referring to FIG. 50.

While there is shown and described present preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims. ACCORD- INGLY,

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus arranged after a continuous casting installation for releasing a thread-like casting connection from a dummy bar head of a dummy bar, comprising a dummy bar receiver means, a rotary mechanism associated with the dummy bar receiver means, said rotary mechanism being equipped with a receiving opening for a cropped end of the casting which possesses the thread-like casting connection, said rotary mechanism incorporating means for carrying out a relative rotational movement between the cropped end of the casting and the dummy bar head of the dummy bar in order to disconnect the thread-like casting connection of the cropped end of the casting from the dummy bar head of the dummy bar, said means for carrying out said relative rotational movement of the rotary mechanism comprises a rotary head constructed as claw means, said claw means having a lateral opening defining said receiving opening; the cropped end of the casting being insertable into and retractable from said lateral opening, said claw means being provided with fall-out safety means for the cropped end of the casting, said claw means having side flanks provided with recess means corresponding to a substantially pointed edge position of the cropped end wherein diametrically opposite corners of the cropped end are located in said recess means, and further wherein the cropped end has associated therewith stop means acting opposite to the screwout direction of the thre ad-like casting connection, said stop means limiting the movement of the cropped end in a substantially vertical fall-out position.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the dummy bar receiver means is provided with antirotation securing means for the dummy bar to prevent undesired rotation of said dummy bar.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the thread-like casting connection of the cropped end of the casting when disposed in said receiving opening is substantially coaxially arranged with respect to the lengthwise axis of the dummy bar head of the dummy bar.

4. An apparatus arranged after a continuous casting installation for releasing a thread-like casting connection from a dummy bar head of a dummy bar, comprising a dummy bar receiver means, a rotary mechanism associated with the dummy bar receiver means, said rotary mechanism being equipped with a substantially form-locking receiving opening for a cropped end of the casting which possesses the thread-like casting connection, said rotary mechanism comprising a rotary head constructed as claw means, said claw means having a lateral opening defining said form-locking receiving opening, the cropped end of the casting being insertable into and retractable from said lateral opening, said claw means being provided with fall-out safety means for the cropped end of the casting, and wherein the fall-out safety means of the claw means is constructed as a laterally opened cover provided with a projection and freely pivotable about the same rotational axis as the rotary head, the pivot movement of the cover being limited by associated stops between a position closing the opening of the claw means in the fall-out direction and a position opening such opening of the claw means.

Claims (4)

1. An apparatus arranged after a continuous casting installation for releasing a thread-like casting connection from a dummy bar head of a dummy bar, comprising a dummy bar receiver means, a rotary mechanism associated with the dummy bar receiver means, said rotary mechanism being equipped with a receiving opening for a cropped end of the casting which possesses the thread-like casting connection, said rotary mechanism incorporating means for carrying out a relative rotational movement between the cropped end of the casting and the dummy bar head of the dummy bar in order to disconnect the thread-like casting connection of the cropped end of the casting from the dummy bar head of the dummy bar, said means for carrying out said relative rotational movement of the rotary mechanism comprises a rotary head constructed as claw means, said claw means having a lateral opening defining said receiving opening, the cropped end of the casting being insertable into and retractable from said lateral opening, said claw means being provided with fall-out safety means for the cropped end of the casting, said claw means having side flanks provided with recess means corresponding to a substantially pointed edge position of the cropped end wherein diametrically opposite corners of the cropped end are located in said recess means, and further wherein the cropped end has associated therewith stop means acting opposite to the screw-out direction of the thread-like casting connection, said stop means limiting the movement of the cropped end in a substantially vertical fall-out position.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the dummy bar receiver means is provided with anti-rotation securing means for the dummy bar to prevent undesired rotation of said dummy bar.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the thread-like casting connection of the cropped end of the casting when disposed in said receiving opening is substantially coaxially arranged with respect to the lengthwise axis of the dummy bar head of the dummy bar.

4. An apparatus arranged after a continuous casting installation for releasing a thread-like casting connection from a dummy bar head of a dummy bar, comprising a dummy bar receiver means, a rotary mechanism associated with the dummy bar receiver means, said rotary mechanism being equipped with a substantially form-locking receiving opening for a cropped end of the casting which possesses the thread-like casting connection, said rotary mechanism comprising a rotary head constructed as claw means, said claw means having a lateral opening defining said form-locking receiving opening, the cropped end of the casting being insertable into and retractable from said lateral opening, said claw means being provided with fall-out safety means for the cropped end of the casting, and wherein the fall-out safety means of the claw means is constructed as a laterally opened cover provided with a projection and freely pivotable about the same rotational axis as the rotary head, the pivot movement of the cover being limited by associated stops between a position closing the opening of the claw means in the fall-out direction and a position opening such opening of the claw means.

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