Abstract: A gearbox assembly for a charging installation of a metallurgical reactor includes a stationary casing housing a gear assembly. The casing includes a bottom section with a central opening. The assembly further includes a rotor mounted within the casing for rotation about a first axis, which defines an axial direction. The rotor includes a support for the gear assembly, wherein a lower section of the support is disposed within the central opening. To provide for a better protection of a gear assembly, the bottom section includes a first annular portion extending radially inwards to a first radius. The lower section has a second annular portion extending radially outwards to a second radius that is greater than the first radius. The second annular portion is disposed adjacent to the first annular portion. The first annular portion includes a ring element disposed for sliding contact with the second annular portion.

Abstract: The invention relates to a gearbox assembly (2) for a charging installation (1) of a metallurgical reactor, the assembly (2) comprising: a stationary casing (3) for housing a gear assembly, the casing (3) comprising a bottom section (3.3) with a central opening (9), and a rotor (4) mounted within the casing (3) for rotation about a first axis (A), which defines an axial direction, the rotor comprising a support (4) for the gear assembly, a lower section (4.1) of the support (4) being disposed within the central opening (9). In order to provide for a better protection of a gear assembly, the bottom section (3.3) comprises a first annular portion (7, 8) extending radially inwards to a first radius, and the lower section (4.1) has a second annular portion (10.1) extending radially outwards to a second radius that is greater than the first radius, said second annular portion (10.

Abstract: A blast furnace installation includes a blast furnace and a chute transmission gearbox; the blast furnace having a top cone with a top cone ring arranged thereon for receiving a connection flange of the chute transmission gearbox. The connection flange is directly fixed onto the top cone ring by fixing means for establishing a firm connection between the top cone ring and the connection flange. According to an aspect of the present invention, the connection flange is fixed to the top cone ring in three separated fixation regions (30, 30?, 30?), each fixation region including one or more fixing means. According to a further aspect of the present invention, the blast furnace installation also includes a flexible sealing element arranged around the perimeter of the connection between the top cone ring and the chute transmission gearbox.

Abstract: A blast furnace installation includes a blast furnace and a chute transmission gearbox; the blast furnace having a top cone with a top cone ring arranged thereon for receiving a connection flange of the chute transmission gearbox. The connection flange is directly fixed onto the top cone ring by fixing means for establishing a firm connection between the top cone ring and the connection flange. According to an aspect of the present invention, the connection flange is fixed to the top cone ring in three separated fixation regions (30, 30?, 30?), each fixation region including one or more fixing means. According to a further aspect of the present invention, the blast furnace installation also includes a flexible sealing element arranged around the perimeter of the connection between the top cone ring and the chute transmission gearbox.

Abstract: A charging device for a shaft furnace, in particular for a blast furnace and a cooperating distribution chute are proposed, where the distribution chute has an elongated chute body providing a sliding channel for bulk material and two chute-mounting members attached laterally to either side of the chute body for mounting the distribution chute to the charging device, the charging device including a mechanism for rotating the distribution chute, the mechanism having a rotatable support rotor with two suspension flanges cooperating with the chute-mounting members of the distribution chute for mounting the distribution chute, where each chute-mounting member of the chute includes a hook-shaped portion that forms a suspension hook for mounting the distribution chute to the suspension flanges, each suspension flange in turn has a support configured for engagement with the hook-shaped portion of the chute along a hook engagement direction, and furthermore, each chute-mounting member includes an abutment portion tha

Abstract: A lower sealing valve assembly for a shaft furnace charging installation including a lower sealing valve housing with a lower outlet through which charge material can freely drop onto a distribution device, the housing has at least one upper inlet for communicating with an outlet of a hopper arranged above the housing, where each inlet has an associated valve seat that is arranged inside the lower sealing valve housing and turned towards the interior of the housing, a shutter is further operatively connected to an actuation mechanism for moving the shutter into and out of sealing contact with the valve seat, the valve actuation mechanism includes a turn-slide cylindric joint having a typically vertical joint axis for swiveling the shutter in a plane perpendicular to the joint axis inside the lower sealing valve housing and for translating the shutter up and down along the joint axis such that the cylindric joint includes a shaft that is axially fixed and rotatably in a hollow sleeve, which in turn is axially

Abstract: A charging device for a shaft furnace, in particular for a blast furnace and a cooperating distribution chute are proposed, where the distribution chute has an elongated chute body providing a sliding channel for bulk material and two chute-mounting members attached laterally to either side of the chute body for mounting the distribution chute to the charging device, the charging device including a mechanism for rotating the distribution chute, the mechanism having a rotatable support rotor with two suspension flanges cooperating with the chute-mounting members of the distribution chute for mounting the distribution chute, where each chute-mounting member of the chute includes a hook-shaped portion that forms a suspension hook for mounting the distribution chute to the suspension flanges, each suspension flange in turn has a support configured for engagement with the hook-shaped portion of the chute along a hook engagement direction, and furthermore, each chute-mounting member includes an abutment portion tha

Abstract: The invention concerns a charging installation for a shaft furnace, in particular for a blast furnace, and especially the lower sealing valve assembly thereof, the installation including at least two hoppers acting as lock hoppers for intermediate storage of charge material to be charged into the furnace, the lower sealing valve includes a lower sealing valve housing arranged below the hoppers, the lower sealing valve housing has at least two inlets respectively communicating with one of the hoppers and an outlet for passing charge material into the furnace, each inlet has a respective associated valve seat providing gas-tight sealing of the hoppers downstream, the lower sealing valve assembly further includes a sealing valve mechanism for sealing the inlets, more specifically for closing the seats in technically gas-tight manner, where the sealing valve mechanism includes a one-sided shutter having a single sealing face that cooperates with both of the at least two valve seats, by virtue of the sealing valve