Abstract: In a method of carrying out metallurgical or chemical processes in a shaft furnace having an upper cover, electric energy is supplied by a plasma burner penetrating the upper cover. A plasma torch is formed between the plasma burner and a counter-electrode penetrating the bottom of the shaft furnace. Charging stock is introduced concentrically about the plasma torch and forms a protective wall at the inner wall of the furnace. There is also provided an arrangement for carrying out this method.

Abstract: In a method of reducing oxide-containing fine-particle ores, the ore particles are melted and reduced in a rotationally symmetric melting vessel in the presence of solid, liquid or gaseous carbon carriers by the action of a plasma jet of a plasma burner. At least part of the ore particles to be reduced are introduced through charging openings in the side wall of the vessel and are set in a cyclonic rotational movement. The plasma jet of the plasma burner is generated within the rotating particle stream. An arrangement for carrying out the method comprises a refractorily lined melting vessel having a rotationally symmetric inner space and including charging openings for the addition of oxide-containing ore particles and fluxing agents. There are openings for solid, liquid or gaseous carbon carriers and other fluxes, and at least one plasma burner.

Abstract: In a continuous casting plant including a reciprocating lifting table, the mould is accommodated by this lifting table. Following upon the mould, a strand guide section, in particular designed as a bending device, is arranged. In order to permanently ensure the correct adjustment of the mould relative to the strand guide section following upon the mould, with a quick exchange of the mould being still feasible, the mould is guided on the strand guide section following thereupon and the lifting table is aligned and guided via the mould.

Abstract: A plate mould of a continuous casting plant includes a carrying frame mounted on a reciprocating mould lifting table, and walls supported on the carrying frame and delimiting the mould cavity. At least one of the side walls is displaceable transversely to the mould axis by an adjustment drive to change the format of the strand cross section. In order to reduce the expenditures in terms of machinery and investments for a continuous casting plant, the adjustment drive is arranged on a stationary supporting structure neighboring the lifting table, or on the lifting table, and is in connection with the adjustable side wall via a coupling.

Abstract: For drying organic solid materials, such as brown coals, the solid materials are, particularly for the purpose of immediately subsequent briquetting or refinement or gasification, respectively, preheated and introduced into an atmosphere of saturated steam at super-atmospheric pressure and increased temperature. After such a first drying stage (1, 2) operated with saturated steam, the process water formed in this drying stage is separated and the solid materials are at least partially pressure-released and subsequently further dried within an atmosphere of superheated steam at a temperature of at least 200.degree. C. of this steam atmosphere. The steam of this further drying stage (7) is passed along a closed circuit via heat exchangers (10, 11) and brought to or maintained at the required temperature.

Abstract: In a steel frog for rail crossings and rail switches, the frog point or, respectively, the surface of the frog being travelled upon by the wheels consists of an age-hardening steel having the composition______________________________________ C 0.01 to 0.05% Ti 0.1 to 1% Si 0.01 to 0.2% Cr 0 to 13% Mn 0.01 to 0.2% Al 0 to 0.2% Co 0 to 15% B 0 to 0.1% Mo 1.5 to 6% Zr 0 to 0.1% Ni 7 to 20% ______________________________________The frog is manufactured such that the surface being travelled upon by the wheels is applied by build-up welding onto a base body consisting of nominal rail steel.

Abstract: A continuously cast strand is guided through a cooling chamber and brought into direct contact with a coolant evaporating partially. The coolant vapor is brought into heat exchange with a closed surface condenser arranged within the cooling chamber, and a flow-through medium of the surface condenser is brought into further heat exchange with a heat transformer arranged outside the cooling chamber and connected with the condenser.

Abstract: Apparatus for discharging solids from a shaft furnace comprises a lock chamber structure, the interior of which is connected to the shaft furnace by a conveyor duct, and a rotor, which is rotatably mounted in the interior of the lock chamber structure and adapted to be driven and arranged to receive solids from the furnace and seals the inlet of the lock chamber from the outlet of the lock chamber. To permit a continuous discharge of solids from the furnace without an escape of gas from the furnace, the rotor consists of a cellular wheel, which has cell-defining walls in a star-shaped configuration. The conveyor duct is connected to a source of a compressed blocking gas. An exhaust gas duct communicates with the interior of the lock chamber structure adjacent to the conveying portion of the cellular wheel between the inlet and the outlet of the cellular wheel.

Abstract: There is described a method for the hot repair of the protective layer provided on the permanent lining of a tundish of a continuous casting plant. The method can be carried out simply and quickly, with thermal losses of the tundish being largely prevented and heat influences on the personnel being eliminated, by retaining an amount of residual steel with a slag layer in the tundish. The residual-steel amount plus slag layer is cooled till solidification, is removed from the tundish in a still hot state, and a repair-mass constituting the protective layer is sprayed onto the permanent lining of the still hot tundish.

Abstract: The bits (1) of a cutting machine are subjected with water under pressure by means of nozzles (22), water supply to the nozzles (22) being given free by a valve cone (6) as soon as the bit (1) within the bit holder (2) is shifted in axial direction against the force of a spring. Axial movement of the bit (1) is effected by the cutting pressure and the shifting path of the bit (1) is transmitted to the valve cone (6) via a coupling member (9). The force of the spring (5) is rated such that the spring presses the bit (1) against its own weight and against the internal frictional resistances into its starting position in non-loaded condition with simultaneous closing of the valve cone (6). The restoring forces are, with connected conduits for pressurized water, substantially greater than the spring force, the active surface of the valve cone (6) acted upon by the water pressure in closing sense determining the force above which opening of the valve becomes possible.

Abstract: A horizontal continuous casting plant includes a tundish for accommodating melt and at least one through-type mold fastened to the tundish. The tundish is placeable into a position in alignment with a stationary strand guideway and removable from this position, together with the mold. In order to provide a continuous casting plant in which the relative movement between the strand skin and the mold exactly has the desired course and extent, the through-type mold is fixable relative to the base without play in the longitudinal direction of its mold cavity.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method for carrying out melting, melt-metallurgical and/or reduction-metallurgical processes in a plasma melting furnace. In its interior, freely burning plasma torches are produced between plasma burners guided through the lid or through the side walls of the furnace body and a bottom electrode. Fluxes and reactive substances to be melted and reacted, respectively, are charged into the region of the plasma torches. In order to increase the energy supply to the charges to be melted or reacted and thus improving the thermal efficiency or kinetics of the process, additional gas flows, which differ from the original plasma gas, are injected into the plasma torches. An arrangement for carrying out the method includes a furnace through whose lid or side walls plasma burners are guided and in whose bottom a counter electrode is arranged. Supply means for introducing additional gas flows into the region of the plasma torches are additionally provided.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method of operating a metallurgical plant including a metallurgical vessel through the ceiling of which one or several hollow electrode(s) are guided in whose cavity a supply pipe is liftably and lowerably moveable. The plant may be operated as an electric arc furnace to melt down charge materials and fluxes, by retracting the pipe mouth to behind the mouth of the hollow electrode. Or, it may be operated as a plasma furnace to melt charge materials and fluxes upon increased energy supply, by displacing the mouth of the pipe to or slightly in front of the mouth of the hollow electrode and simultaneously supplying a plasma generating gas. And, finally, it may be operated as a refining converter, by displacing the pipe mouth to beyond the mouth of the hollow electrode and supplying oxygen-containing gas while interrupting the current supply.

Abstract: For drying organic solid materials such as, for example, brown coals, these materials are, after preheating, treated with saturated steam under a pressure of 5 to 45 bar and at a temperature of 150.degree. to 260.degree. C. Prior to the subsequent upgrading step, the water content can further be reduced by introducing superheated steam and/or a pressure relief, whereupon immediately subsequently an upgrading treatment, particularly a gasification under pressure, a briquetting or a coal liquification, is effected with the sensible or intrinsic heat from the drying stage. Preferably the dried organic solid materials are introduced into the upgrading stage while still being under a residual pressure of the drying stage.

Abstract: An apparatus for a controlled supply of a powder to a mold for continuous casting has a vibrating conveyor with a delivery edge and a retaining wall carried by the vibrating conveyor. The retaining wall extends along the delivery edge and defines a flow control gap therewith, the retaining wall causing the powder to pile up thereat and to exert a conveying pressure on the powder flowing through the gap. The flow control gap has a height varying in inverse relation to the conveying pressure.

Abstract: Apparatus for feeding platelike workpieces to a machine tool comprises a feed deck adapted to carry a workpiece, a carriage, which carries tongs for gripping the workpiece and is movable in longitudinal and transverse directions to move the workpiece in said directions, a carriage track, which extends in said transverse direction and is mounted on said feed deck to be movable in said longitudinal direction and extends in said transverse direction and is adapted to guide said carriage in said transverse directions, workpiece-supporting elements, which are vertically adjustably mounted on said feed deck and adapted to support a workpiece and arranged in a plurality of rows extending in said transverse direction, a plurality of actuating shafts, each of which is operatively connected to the workpiece-supporting elements of one of said rows and rotatable to vertically adjust the workpiece-supporting elements of said row and is non-rotatably connected to a crank arm, which is operable by a bar, which is rigid with

Abstract: In a hot-rolling plant, a single roughing stand directly precedes a forward reversing coiler and is closely spaced therefrom. A set of two reversing finishing stands is arranged in direct succession between the forward reversing coiler and a rear reversing coiler, the distance between the roughing stand and the finishing stands being just sufficient to accommodate the forward reversing coiler. The set of finishing stands and the roughing stand are selectively operable individually and jointly with each other.

Abstract: A hot-rolling plant comprises forward and rear reversible coilers, a reversible finishing stand disposed between the coilers, and crop shears including upper and lower cutter cylinders. To permit trimming of the stock to be rolled between finishing passes, the crop shears are disposed between the finishing stand and the rear reversible coiler, and a backing roller for supporting the stock is rotatably mounted on the lower cutter cylinder on an axis which is parallel to the axis of rotation of the lower cutter cylinder.

Abstract: In a method of producing heavy plate of steel, a prematerial is hot-rolled in several passes. As the prematerial at least two slabs of the same steel quality are superposed so as to form a pack and are welded by roll-bonding and reduced in thickness.

Abstract: A sieve belt press includes two endless sieve belts which pass over a number of rolls. In the area in which the two sieve belts return separately, drive rolls are provided so that each sieve belt is driven separately. In addition, at least one further drive roll is provided in an area within which the sieve belts are passed in common over such further drive roll.