Title of Invention

SLIDING GATE VALVE FOR A VESSEL CONTAINING MOLTEN METAL

Abstract

A sliding gate valve (20) for a vessel containing molten metal comprising a housing frame (22), in which a refractory base plate(25)and a refractory sliding plate (26), which is sealingly pressable against the latter by means of spring packets (56) and is arranged in a slider unit(23), are contained. The housing frame(22)is longitudinally movably mounted together with the sliding plate (26)and the base plate (25) beneath the outlet (12) on guide tracks (52) which extend transverse to the outlet and are fastened to the vessel(10) and is released from the vessel(10)after moving through a predetermined distance. The housing frame (22) also has a coupling peg(62)for releasably coupling to a manipulator(80),the manipulator (80) being intended to move the housing frame (22) on the guide tracks (52) and to remove it from and to install it on the vessel (10).

Full Text

-1A - Sliding Gate Valve for a Vessel containing Molten Metal The invention relates to a sliding gate valve for a vessel containing molten metal including a housing frame, in which a refractory base plate and a refractory sliding plate, which is sealingly pressable against the latter by means of spring elements and is arranged in a slider unit, are contained, the slider unit being movable back and forth by means of a drive element. A known sliding gate valve, which is disclosed in the publication DE-C2 2523928 and which is suitable in particular for a converter which constitutes the vessel containing molten metal, has a sliding gate valve assembly which is pre-assembled with known refractory wear parts, namely a sliding plate, a base plate and a discharge sleeve. This pre-assembled unit is secured by means of eye bolts and guide pegs to a frame attached to the tap of the converter. It must be ensured with this attachment that the projecting base plate in the valve engages in the groove of the front-most tap brick of the tapping passage and that a sealed connection is produced by the mortar which is inserted and subsequently hardens between them, whereby leaking out of the molten steel between this base plate and the tap brick corresponding to it is prevented, otherwise leaking out of liquid molten metal between these refractory components could result in destruction of the entire sliding gate valve assembly. The valve plates must be regularly replaced in this known sliding gate valve since they are subjected to relatively intense wear. Such replacement is, however, associated with a certain amount of effort since the valve must be removed from the hot converter and opened, the plates replaced and the valve 2 subsequently reinstalled on the taphole of the converter. It must be ensured during installation, as already mentioned above, that the connection between the base plate and the refractory tap brick adjacent to it is absolutely sealed by using mortar. Against this background, it is the object of the present invention to provide a sliding gate valve of the type described above which is substantially removable from the container and can be installed on it in a simple manner in an automated operation and in which the seal between the plates on the one hand and between the base plate and the head member adjacent to it on the other hand is completely ensured. In accordance with the invention the object is solved by the features of the invention. With this sliding gate valve in accordance with the invention the refractory plates, which wear away, inserted in it may be replaced without relatively time-consuming manual work having to be performed on the hot vessel, particularly if it is a converter. When using sliding gate valves on a converter, account must further be taken of the fact that the refractory plates have a length up to 600 millimetres or even longer and they can therefore scarcely be replaced manually. This is also solved in an excellent manner in the sliding gate valve in accordance with the invention. Exemplary embodiments of the invention and further advantages of the same accompanying will be described below in more detail with reference to the/drawings, in which: 3 Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the sliding gate valve in accordance with the invention, Fig. 2 is a view of the underside of the sliding gate valve shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of only half of the sliding gate valve shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a modification of a vessel outlet, which is shown in part, and the sliding gate valve as shown in Fig. 1 connected thereto, Fig. 5 is a side view of the sliding gate valve shown in Fig. 1 with the coupling device shown, and Fig. 6 is a schematic view of the manipulator and of the sliding gate valve shown in Fig. 1 installed on the vessel. Fig. 1 shows a sliding gate valve 20 which is arranged at the outlet 12 of a vessel 10 containing molten metal. This vessel 10, which is shown indicatively, is a converter in which the outlet 12 is not arranged as usual on the underside but in the upper region of the side wall of the vessel. In the emptying process, it is tilted and the molten metal currently being treated in it flows through the outlet 12, designated a tap, into a ladle or the like. Of the vessel 10, which is provided in the form of a converter, only an outlet socket 14 is shown, whose external surface is metallic and arranged in which and shown in part are a refractory inlet sleeve 11, a refractory sleeve 12 surrounding it and a mortar bed. 4 15 are shown of the vessel 10. This vessel 10 is otherwise of similar construction to that which is shown in the publication DE-C 2523928 referred to above. Releasably fixed at the end surface of the outlet socket 14 is an adapter plate 40 to which in turn the sliding gate valve 20 is secured. This sliding gate valve 20 has a housing frame 22 in which a stationary, refractory base plate 25 with a lower slide surface 28, a sliding plate 26, which may be sealingly pressed against the latter, and a slider unit 23 holding them are provided. The latter is moved back and forth by a drive element by means of a push rod 29 which is connectable to it, whereby the sliding gate valve 10 is movable into an open position - as shown - and into a closed position. Also adjacent to the sliding plate 26 is a refractory discharge sleeve 32 by which the outflowing molten metal is guided into the ladle or the like. It is noted here that the sliding gate valve adopts only either the open or the closed position with converter taps and there is therefore no controlled discharge of the volume which flows out. The base plate 25 has on its upper surface a slide plane surface 27, which is parallel to its lower sliding surface 28, and it is stationary in the direction of this sliding surface 28 but arranged to be movable perpendicular thereto within the housing frame 22. It is thus pressable against a refractory head member 42, which is securable to the vessel outlet 12, and defines together with the latter a sealed disconnection point. The base plate 25 is enclosed within a cassette 25' which is mounted to be movable in the housing frame 22 transverse to the longitudinal dimension of the plates. This arrangement renders removal of the housing frame from, and installation thereof on, the vessel 10 together with the plates 26, 28 and the slider unit 23 possible. 5 In accordance with the invention, the housing frame 22 is mounted together with the sliding plate 26 and the base plate 24 beneath the outlet 12 so as to be longitudinally movable on guide tracks 52, which are secured to the vessel 10 and extend transverse to the outlet. After moving through a predetermined distance, this housing frame is released from the vessel 10. Furthermore, the housing frame 22 has at least one connecting means for releasably coupling to a manipulator by means of which it can be moved on the guide tracks 52 and can be removed from the vessel 10 and installed on it. The connecting means on the housing frame 22 is constructed in the form of a coupling peg 62 which may be coupled to a socket attached to the arm of a manipulator in the manner of a bayonet connector which in the coupled state define a rigid connection. The refractory head member 42, which is constructed in the shape of a disc, is provided on its underside with a flat end surface 43 and on the upper surface with a circular groove 44 into which an annular projection on the discharge sleeve 11 extends and advantageously inserted between which is a setting mortar. This head member 42 is sheathed with a flange 42' which is fixed from below in an annular recess 41 in the adapter plate 40 by fastening means 45. When the sliding gate valve 20 is removed, this head member 42 can also be released and replaced. In the assembled state, the lower flat end surface 43 of the head member 42 projects beyond that of the adapter plate 40 and thus permits its slide plane surface 27 to be in contact with the upper surface of the base plate 25, which also projects beyond the slide frame 22. The refractory base plate 25, and the sliding plate 26 and the discharge sleeve 32, are furthermore provided in the conventional manner with a respective high 6 grade refractory insert comprising e.g. zirconia which is embedded in each case in refractory base material and in a metallic band surrounding the latter. Also secured to the adapter plate 40 is an actuable coupling device 30. This is intended to connect the slider unit 23 to the push rod 29, after the housing 22 has been slid in beneath the outlet 12, and at the same time to fix the housing frame 22 to the vessel. This coupling device 30 conveniently has a flange portion 33, secured to the adapter plate 40, and a coupling sleeve 34, which is pivotally mounted in the latter and provided in which there is an opening 35 for receiving the push rod 29. Formed on the inner surface of the coupling sleeve 34 is a plurality of dogs 36 which, in the assembled state, are in engagement with a flange 22', which is connected to the housing frame 22, and serve to releasably fix the housing frame to the vessel. As shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, the adapter plate 40, which is fastened to the vessel 10 by means of bolts or the like, has two L-shaped guide tracks 52, which are arranged parallel to one another, with a respective inner guideway 53 on which a respective support arm 55, projecting on the housing frame 22 on the two longitudinal sides, rests. Included in these two support arms 55 are a respective plurality of spring packets 56 arranged next to one another. Associated with the latter are a respective plurality of plate springs 56 and a guide peg 56' engaging the guideway 53. The plate springs 56 produce an axial pressure on a respective guide peg 56'. In the illustrated stressed state of the sliding gate valve 20, a force flux is produced by these spring packets 56 which passes transversely through the housing frame 22, the slider unit 23 and the refractory plates 25 arranged one above the other to the head member 42 and by means of which it is ensured that no molten metal can leak out between these 7 refractory plates 25, 26 and the head member 42, when pouring. The housing frame 22 can be removed from the vessel in the longitudinal direction of the guide tracks by means of a manipulator 80, which will be described below and which may be connected to the coupling peg 62. For this purpose, the coupling sleeve 34 must firstly be rotated through 90° by means of a manually operable lever 34' in order to release the push rod 29 from the slider unit 23. The housing frame 22 can then be moved to the left in the plane of the figure and as soon as its support arms 55 are out of engagement with the guide tracks 52 it can be removed from the vessel and taken to an assembly station remote from the hot converter. The refractory plates in it can then be replaced there. As shown in Fig. 4, four spring packets 56, which are of the same dimensions and arranged in a row, are provided for each support arm 55. They are arranged offset from one another in a stepped manner such that the guide pegs 56' of the spring packets 56 define a line with their lower engagement surfaces which extends parallel to the engagement surface 53" of the guideway 53 which is arranged obliquely or conically to the direction of movement of the housing frame at an angle of ca.l to 2 degrees. When moving the housing frame 22 into the illustrated operational state, the spring packets 56 are stressed by the oblique arrangement of the engagement surfaces only shortly before the illustrated end position of the housing frame 22 which is slid in,.i.e. at approximately the distance between two spring packets. The result of this is that the pressing of the upper slide plane surface 27 of the base plate 25 against the lower end surface 43 of the head member 42 is effected only over a short distance close to the operational position. The guideway 53 is also provided on the entry side 8 with an additional, ramp-shaped inclination 53' which makes satisfactory introduction of the housing frame 22 into these guide tracks possible. Fig. 5 shows the two-part coupling sleeve 34, which is provided with the opening 35, of the coupling device 30, which can be swung through 90° by the lever 34'. In the downwardly directed position of the lever 34', when the housing frame is installed, the flange 22 of the latter can be slid by means of the push rod 29 secured to the vessel 10. For this purpose, the push rod 29 has at its front end a ball 29', which is also provided with lateral flats and which is introduced into a corresponding recess in a connecting portion 23', mounted in the flange 22', and after rotation of the push rod is connected to it. As soon as this flange has been pushed into the end position, the coupling sleeve 34, together with the push rod 29, is rotated through 90°, whereby the push rod 29, which is provided with lateral flats, becomes connected to a connecting portion 23', mounted in the flange 22', of the slider unit 23. The slider unit 23 can then be moved by the drive element, which is preferably a hydraulic drive, into the desired positions. The lever 34' is advantageously secured against rotation by means of a locking pawl 38 shown in Fig. 2. The housing frame 22 is released in the reverse sequence when the push rod 29 is removed. Fig. 6 is a schematic view of the construction of the manipulator 80, which includes a support 86, which is adjustable in the directions of the illustrated arrows and is positioned on a stacker truck 87 or the like, a control cabin 85 arranged on it and an actuating cylinder 84. The support 86 has vertically adjustable support legs 89 resting on a platform 90 or the like. Also pivotally connected to the support 86 is a gripper 88, which determines the position of the manipulator 80 with respect to the vessel 10 and which is positionable on the 9 centering pegs 83, which are provided on both sides on the adapter plate 40, which is secured to the vessel 10. The manipulator 80 determines the spatial position of the vessel 10 with this positioning. The coupling socket 82, which is fastened to the tip of the piston rod 81, of the actuating cylinder 84 of the manipulator 80 can consequently be pushed over the coupling peg 62 on the sliding gate valve housing frame 22 and coupled to it by rotation. The housing frame 22, which is secured to the converter, can then be removed in the position in which it is released from the coupling 30 by axial movement of the piston rod 81 and taken to an assembly station. The actuating cylinder 84 is mounted for this purpose to be pivotable about a horizontal axis by means of a cylinder unit 91 in a rotary mounting 92 on the cabin 85. After removal of the sliding gate valve by means of this manipulator it is moved by the stacker truck, of which the fork 87 is shown, into a position which is advantageously shielded from heat and from dirt. The invention has been adequately described with the illustrated exemplary embodiments but it could also be explained in other modifications. For instance, instead of the spring packets integrated in the housing frame they could also be used arranged in the guide tracks which furthermore act via known tilting levers, whereby the tilting levers would, define the guideways 53. Reference is also made to the fact that this sliding gate valve in accordance with the invention is basically suitable also for discharge regulation for an electric furnace, for a ladle used in continuous casting installations or for a distributor vessel. 10 We Claim: 1. Sliding gate valve for a vessel containing molten metal with a housing frame (22), which may be mounted at a outlet (12) of the vessel and. contained in which is a refractory base plate (25) and a refractory sliding plate (26), which is slidingly pressable against the latterly means of spring elements (56) and is disposed in al slider unit (23) the slider unit (23), the slider unit (23) being reciprocable by means of a drive element, characterized in that the housing frame .(22) is mounted, together with the sliding plate (26) and the base plate (25), longitudinally slidably below the outlet (12) on guide tracks (52), which extend transverse to the outlet, are secured to the vessel (10) and on which the spring elements (56) are supported, the guide tracks being so constructed that the housing frame (22) is released from the vessel (10) after sliding through a predetermined distance, and that the housing frame (22) has at least one connecting means (62) for releasably coupling to a manipulator (80), this manipulator (80) being adapted to slide this housing frame (22) on the guide tracks (52) and to remove it from the vessel (10) and to mount it thereon. 2. Sliding gate valve as claimed in claim 1 wherein said coupling means is constructed as a coupling peg on said housing frame (22), couplable to a coupling sleeve being attached to an actuating cylinder of said manipulator in the manner of a bayonet connector and together constitute in the coupled state a rigid connection. 1. 11 3. Sliding gate valve as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said two L- shaped guide tracks (52) are provided being arranged parallel to one another each defining an inner guideway (53) having a respective lower portion (53) at the end, said housing frame (22) being longitudinally guided on said guideway with a respective support arm (55) on the two sides. 4. Sliding gate valve as claimed in one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein said housing frame (22) when being installed on the vessel (10) by said manipulator (80) is liftable between the guide tracks (52) and movable on said guide tracks (52) into a pouring position and wherein a stressing is effected during the movement between said sliding plate (26), said base plate (25 ) and a refractory top portion (42) secured to the outlet of said vessel (10). 5. Sliding gate valve as claimed in one of the preceding claims, wherein an actuable coupling means (30) on said vessel is provided to fix the housing frame (22) after sliding into the pouring position to the vessel, said actuable coupling means at the same time connecting the slider unit (23) to a push rod (29) associated with the drive element secured to the vessel (10). 3. 12 6. Sliding gate valve as claimed in Claim 5, wherein said coupling means (30) comprises a flange portion (33) fixed to said adapter plate (40) and a coupling sleeve (34), said adapter plate (40) being pivotally mounted in said coupling sleeve (34) having internal dogs (36) for the releasable connection with a flange (22') on said housing frame (22) and with a carrier connection with said push rod (29) for rotation of the same. 7. Sliding gate valve as claimed in one of the preceding claims, wherein positioning means are provided on said vessel (10) on which a gripper arm of said manipulator is centered for the purpose of determining the instantaneous position of the vessel. 8. Sliding gate valve as claimed in one of the preceding claims, wherein said spring packets (56) in each support arm (55) and said guideway (53) coming into contact with each other pushes said guideway (53) into said guidetracks (52) and stresses said housing frame (22) before reaching the end position. 9. Sliding gate valve as claimed in Claim 8, wherein a guide pegs (56') of said spring packets (56) define a line with their lower engagement surfaces which extends parallel to an engagement surface (53") of said guideway (53) being arranged obliquely or conically to the direction of movement of said housing frame (22). 6. 13 10. Sliding gate valve as claimed in one of the preceding claims, wherein said housing frame (22) serves to receive said sliding plate (26) and said base plate (25) having at least one connecting means for releasably coupling to said manipulator (80) and respective support arms (55) being provided on its two longitudional sides to mount said housing frame (22) on the vessel (10). 11. Sliding gate valve as claimed in one of Claims 1 to 9, wherein said adapter plate (40) comprises two guide tracks (52) arranged parallel to one another for mounting said housing frame (22) having an opening for receiving a refractory head member (42). 12. Sliding gate valve as claimed in claim 11, wherein said adapter plate (40) is provided with positioning means (83) for the manipulator. 13. Sliding gate valve as claimed in one of claims 1 to 9, wherein said manipulator (80) comprises a gripper (88) for determining the spatial position of the vessel (10); and an actuating cylinder (84) having a connecting means, said manipulator gripping said housing frame (22) with said connecting means for moving the housing frame (22) away from the vessel (10). A sliding gate valve (20) for a vessel containing molten metal comprising a housing frame (22), in which a refractory base plate (25) and a refractory sliding plate (26), which is sealingly pressable against the latter by means of spring packets (56) and is arranged in a slider unit (23), are contained. The housing frame (22) is longitudinally movably mounted together with the sliding plate (26) and the base plate (25) beneath the outlet (12) on guide tracks (52) which extend transverse to the outlet and are fastened to the vessel (10) and is released from the vessel (10) after moving through a predetermined distance. The housing frame (22) also has a coupling peg (62) for releasably coupling to a manipulator (80), the manipulator (80) being intended to move the housing frame (22) on the guide tracks (52) and to remove it from and to install it on the vessel (10).

Documents:

01202-cal-1997 abstract.pdf

01202-cal-1997 claims.pdf

01202-cal-1997 correspondence.pdf

01202-cal-1997 description(complete).pdf

01202-cal-1997 drawings.pdf

01202-cal-1997 form-1.pdf

01202-cal-1997 form-2.pdf

01202-cal-1997 form-3.pdf

01202-cal-1997 power of aottorney.pdf