Abstract: A support device for a rotary drum having at least one roller capable of cooperating with the drum. At least two bearings permit the rotation of the roller about its axis of rotation. The support device has a chassis into which the bearings are secured. The chassis is mounted for pivoting about a pivotal axis substantially perpendicular to the plane passing through the axis of rotation of the roller and perpendicular to a block onto which the support device is placed. The device also includes a connector which is flexible in a given direction and rigid in the directions orthogonal to the direction of flexibility. The connector maintains the bearings on the block while permitting free pivotal movement of the chassis in such a way to permit alignment of the roller on the drum in the event of pivoting.

Abstract: A device for supporting and cooling a continuous casting emerging from a discharge end of a mold comprises a member having a support surface and mounted below the mold at the discharge end thereof in such a manner that one of the faces of the emerging continuous casting comes into contact with the support surface of the member and glides therealong, the member defining cavities spaced along the support surface, spraying heads positioned in the cavities to project jets of a cooling fluid onto the face of the emerging continuous casing in contact with the support surface of the member. To permit atomization of the cooling fluid, the device also comprises an atomizing chamber for the cooling fluid affixed to the member at a distance from the cavities, the member defining conduits connecting the atomizing chamber to the spraying heads, the conduits having outlet ends at the cavities and the spraying heads being mounted on the outlet ends of the conduits.

Abstract: To enable the operation of a cement manufacturing installation to be controlled by taking into account changes in essential operating parameters as soon as they appear, the quantity of the total theoretical heat (QT) required to convert the raw material to clinker is calculated by applying correcting coefficients to the quantity of a predetermined total nominal heat (QTO) corresponding to nominal values imposed by parameters (K1, K2, . . . Kn) characteristic of the raw material, of the fuel, of the clinker and of the operation of the installation, the correcting coefficients taking into account differences between the nominal values and measured values of said parameters. The quantity of the theoretical heat (QF) to be supplied to the kiln is calculated by deducting the quantity of heat (QP) supplied to the precalcination chamber from the quantity of total theoretical heat (QT).

Abstract: To optimize the operation of an installation for the manufacture of clinker, which installation comprises a rotary tubular kiln having an open discharge end for the clinker produced in the kiln, a cooler for the clinker connected to the discharge end, a hood covering the open discharge end and the cooler, hot clinker falling from the open discharge end into the cooler in a downward direction and cooling air passing in the cooler through the hot clinker and heated by the hot clinker, and a burner mounted in the hood and extending into the open discharge end of the rotary tubular kiln, the calorific energy radiated by the falling hot clinker is measured across the atmosphere of the hood to establish a control value, the measured control value is compared with a predetermined reference value for the radiated calorific energy, and at least one operating parameter of the installation is controlled in response to the difference between the control and reference values.

Abstract: A method of changing the width of a continuous metal casting of rectangular cross section without interrupting the casting, wherein a length of the continuous casting is cast through a mold defining a cavity of rectangular cross section having a longitudinal axis, the mold having two small side walls determining therebetween the width of the continuous casting, at least one of the side walls being displaceable with respect to the longitudinal axis to change the width, which comprises the improvement of so controlling the displacement of the one side wall in response to the length of the continuous casting cast since the beginning of the width changing operation that a transition zone of changing width of the continuous casting has a predetermined length regardless of any change in the casting speed of the continuous casting during said operation.

Abstract: To permit a method of controlling the cooling of a cast product in a continuous casting installation to be effected at the beginning of casting, it is proposed to calculate periodically the value of the quantity of cooling water delivered at the start of casting to one of the cooling sections between the moments when an end of the cast product enters and leaves the one cooling section, the latter value being calculated by integrating the values of the quantities of cooling water calculated for the elements in the one cooling section and a fictitious portion of the cast product occupying a part of this one section between a downstream end thereof and the end of the cast product, said fictitious portion having a fictitious age determined as a function of the position of said portion in the casting installation and a fictitious extraction speed equal to the average of the average extraction speeds of the fictitious elements of the cast product in the one cooling section.

Abstract: The cooling of a cast steel slab in a continuous casting installation is controlled by dividing the cast product into successive fictitious elements and periodically calculating the water flow values of the cooling water delivered to the successive cooling sections in the secondary cooling zone of the installation as a function of the age of the elements in these sections. The quantity of heat extracted in the mold is taken into account by periodically determining the water flow values in the different zones by means of a computer on the basis of a first curve giving the variations of the quantity of heat extracted from a unitary mass of the cast product as a function of the time while the cast product passes from the point of emergence from the mold to at least the zone of solidification, and a second curve giving the variations of the surface temperature of the cast product during this passage as a function of time.

Abstract: A protective device for a discharge end of a tubular rotary kiln comprises a flange extending radially outwardly of the metal kiln shell, a metallic ring affixed to the flange and arranged concentric with the shell at the discharge end, and a refractory ring covering the metallic ring and the front face of the flange. Two sleeves concentrically surrounding the external surface of the metal shell to define respective inner and outer annular chambers through which cooling air is circulated to cool the rear face of the flange, a space between the metallic ring and the internal surface of the metal shell communicating with the outer annular chamber through a passage between the rear face of the flange and the discharge end, and with the inner annular chamber through a port in the metal shell spaced inwardly of the discharge end.

Abstract: This invention concerns a system for the protection of the delivery end of a rotary kiln.This system is characterized by the fact that it consists of a refractory concrete ring covering the internal surface of the end of the kiln shell and the front surface of a flange attached to the outside of the end of the shell, the ring being fastened to the shell and the flange by anchorage units fixed on them.The invention can be used in the cement production and minerals processing industries.

Abstract: A ball or grindstone crusher comprises a frame including a support and a table mounted on the frame support for rotation about a vertical axis, and table having arranged thereon an annular track and the frame support extending in a plane below the annular track. Balls or grindstones are rollingly supported on the track and are pressed thereagainst. A first series of bearings supports the table on the frame support and a second series of bearings is disposed at the same level as the first series of bearings. The table has a skirt defining a cylindrical surface coaxial with the annular track and the second series of bearings bears against the cylindrical surface and thereby maintains the table in a stable lateral position with respect to the axis of rotation.

Abstract: A thrust bearing comprises a support and a stationary stand, the support being mounted on the stand for pivoting about an axis extending radially with respect to a cylinder rotating about an axis and comprising a ring and bearings supporting the ring for rotation of the cylinder. The ring has two plane faces, one face on each side of the pivoting axis of the support, and bearings are mounted on the pivotal support in a gliding relationship along at least one of the plane faces of the ring.

Abstract: A heat exchanger comprises an array of tubes, a perforated end plate defining a plurality of holes, a support sleeve in each hole for holding an end of a respective tube in a respective hole, each support sleeve fitting the respective hole, the exterior and interior surface of the support sleeve each defining a groove, a toroidal gasket in each groove, and a clamping portion on each support sleeve. The clamping portion is affixed to the outer face of the perforated end plate and has an end projecting beyond the end of the respective tube held in the support sleeve, and has an inwardly extending abutment at the projecting end for limiting any movement of the tube beyond the abutment.

Abstract: The rotary tube of a crusher is mounted for rotation on a support having a support surface in gliding contact with a circumferentially extending, circular face portion of the crusher tube. The support is supported on a ball-and-socket joint in turn supported on a base, the ball of the joint being affixed to the support and the socket being affixed to the base. A cheek plate extends from each side of the support and encloses the joint and a portion of the base so as to restrain lateral movement of the support.

Abstract: An internally cooled roller particularly useful for continuous casting of metals comprises a roller body and a sleeve mounted on the circumferential surface of the roller body, a conduit for circulating a cooling fluid being defined between the roller body and sleeve. A flange is mounted on one end face of the roller body. The flange has a first tubular member projecting between the sleeve and a reduced diameter end of the roller body surface, a first annular seat being defined by the first tubular member, the sleeve and the roller body surface, and a second tubular member concentrically surrounding the first member and defining therewith a second annular seat. An end of the sleeve projects into the second annular seat and a fluid-tight element is mounted in the first annular seat under compression, the sleeve end being gripped to prevent its radial expansion and thus loosening of the fluid-tight element in the first seat.

Abstract: A large cylinder is supported for rotation on a stationary support frame which carries a support block glidingly contacting an annular raceway on the periphery of the cylinder. A swivel joint mounts the support block on the support frame and the pivoting center of the swivel joint is in or very close to the interface between the support block and the raceway.

Abstract: Continuously cast metal, such as steel, ingots are supported and cooled while being displaced along a path on a panel comprised of alternating support bars and cooling fluid spray banks extending parallel to each other transversely to the path of displacement. The spray banks are mounted individually and removably on the panel.

Abstract: A mixture of water and air atomizing the water is directed toward the externally solidified metal strand discharged from the mold of a continuous casting machine from an elongated header in which air and water are separately fed at elevated pressures to longitudinal rows of apertures in the front wall of the header, the rows being symmetrically arranged relative to a longitudinal plane to form a mist which is propelled from the front wall toward an opposite face of the moving metal object.