Abstract: The device mounted at the end of an operating arm comprises one or more suckers for supporting objects, for example refractory bricks for the brick-lining of a metallurgical converter, means for linear and angular displacement of the suckers, sensors for monitoring and controlling automatically the means of displacement in order to grip and position the objects in a predetermined location, after immobilization of the operating arm. The suckers are provided on a sucker-carrying plate which in its turn is supported by a pair of blocks which can slide in transverse slide bars of a carriage which comprises a pair of longitudinal slide bars, perpendicular to the transverse slide bars and housed in sliding fashion in a central support attached to the end of the operating arm with a degree of angular freedom and a degree of linear freedom orthogonal to the axes of the longitudinal and transverse slide bars.

Abstract: The apparatus comprises an operating station with a rotary work platform, a non-rotary supporting stage supporting the work platform by means of a first bearing, a robot for laying the bricks, a monitoring booth, a device for raising and lowering brick pallets and at least one automatic brick-depalletizing mechanism for transferring the bricks from the pallets towards a stand-by station. This stand-by station comprises a turret which can contain a reserve of bricks of different types and which is supported by the stage by means of a second bearing, so as to be rotatable independently of the stage and the platform about the vertical axis of the vessel. The apparatus is particularly well suited for repairing metallurgical converters.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a work platform movable inside a vessel and associated with a handling robot for handling and laying bricks is presented. The present invention includes at least two hoists placed next to one another, each hoist comprising several telescopic sections. Carriages move along the hoists in order to raise the bricks individually from a depalletizing station located at the foot of the hoist up to platform level. A depalletizing robot, the action of which is coordinated with that of the handling robot, transfers the bricks from a reserve of several brick pallets onto the carriages of the hoist.