Closing apparatus for the bottom pouring hole of a casting ladle

Abstract

A closing apparatus for the bottom pouring hole of a casting ladle, comprising a mounting plate mounted on the bottom of the ladle with a head plate resting against it, in which head plate a port is formed to pour out the melt, and further comprising a slide plate supported for pivoting movement about two axes and adapted to be pressed resiliently against the head plate. The slide plate is supported for reciprocating movement inside a housing. The housing is supported by a housing carrier structure, especially between the legs of carrier bracket for the housing, for pivoting movement about a first pivot axis, while the carrier bracket for the housing is supported by the mounting plate for pivoting about a second pivot axis. The first and second pivot axes extend parallel to each other and to the sealing face between the head and slide plates.

Claims

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the closing means is coupled to a pressure measuring or adjusting device to determine or adjust the closing or opening pressure.

6. The apparatus, as claimed in claim 1, comprising a piston and cylinder unit the axis of which, in operative position, lies in a plane substantially parallel to a sealing face between the slide plate and the head plate, with members of a respective coupling means each being associated with a piston rod and a movable slide portion or an intermediate piece connected to the same, on the one hand, and a cylinder and a fixed slide portion, on the other hand, so that the coupling members of the link between the piston rod and the movable slide portion are moved into engagement by pivoting motion of the piston and cylinder unit in a substantially vertical plane and are kept in engagement by a tilting moment effective in the plane of the pivoting motion, the cylinder comprising two diametrically arranged radial cylinder bolts which, forming the pivot axis of the piston and cylinder unit, correspond to two upwardly open and mutually aligned recesses at two spaced apart holding lugs for the piston and cylinder unit, wherein a mounting ramp each for the piston and cylinder unit is arranged upstream of the two recesses.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the mounting ramps each are curved slightly concavely as seen from the top, i.e. from the casting ladle, and in that the transition between the ramp and the associated recess is rounded.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein the two holding lugs including the ramps are formed at the carrier bracket for the slide plate housing or the ramps are arranged at the two legs of the carrier bracket for the housing, specifically at the inner sides each, depending on the position of the first and second pivot axes.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein the holding means comprises a setting means for adjusting or readjusting the sealing bias between the slide plate and the head plate.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein the projecting nose at the carrier bracket for the housing comprises an exchangeably mounted member having a support surface for the eccentric of the holding means.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the support surface is adapted to the circumferential surface of the eccentric and arranged slightly depressed so that, on closing of the apparatus, the eccentric will snap into engagement with the support surface, overcoming the bias caused by contact pressure springs which act on the slide plate..Iadd.

15. A closure valve apparatus for a pour opening of a bottom pour vessel, comprising:

a head plate fixedly secured with respect to said vessel, said head plate having a pour passage communicating with said vessel pour opening and a slide surface substantially perpendicular to the axis of said pour passage,

a slide plate containing a pour passage and a slide surface for sliding engagement with said head plate slide surface,

means for supporting said slide plate for automatically aligned, sliding surface-to-surface contact with said head plate, said means including:

a slide frame having said slide plate mounted therein,

a housing for guiding said slide frame for reciprocating movement with respect to said head plate,

means for moving said slide frame within said housing to displace said slide plate pour passage into and out of communication with said head plate pour passage,

a housing carrier,

means for connecting said housing to said housing carrier for pivotal movement about an axis substantially parallel to the slide surface of said slide plate; and

means for mounting said housing for pivotal movement with respect to said vessel bottom about a second axis between a closed position in which said plates are in sliding engaement with each other and an open position in which said plates are accessible; and

closing means for moving said housing carrier into said closed position and for maintaining it therein with respect to said vessel bottom..Iaddend..Iadd.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15 in which said slide frame has a direction of movement substantially parallel to said first and second pivot axes..Iaddend..Iadd.17. The apparatus according to claim 15 in which said slide frame has a direction of movement substantially perpendicular to said first and second pivot axes..Iaddend..Iadd.18. The apparatus according to claim 16 in which said first pivot axis is substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of said slide plate..Iaddend..Iadd.19. The apparatus according to claim 15 in which said housing carrier comprises a carrier bracket having oppositely spaced, substantially parallel legs, pivot means at one end of said legs for connecting said legs with respect to said vessel whereby said carrier bracket is pivotable about said second pivot axis, and pivot means extending between and interconnecting said housing and said legs whereby said housing is pivotable about said first pivot axis..Iaddend..Iadd.20. The apparatus according to claim 19 in which said carrier bracket includes a crosspiece extending between and interconnecting the other ends of said legs, and means on said crosspiece for operatively receiving said closing means..Iaddend..Iadd.21. The apparatus according to claim 20 including spring means for resiliently pressing said slide plate against said head plate for establishing the sealing bias therebetween, said closing means being operative to move said carrier bracket into said closed position against said sealing bias and for retaining it therein during operation of

said valve apparatus..Iaddend..Iadd.22. The apparatus according to claim 21 in which said closing means comprises a fluidly operated piston-cylinder unit operable to move said carrier bracket into said closed position, and mechanical holding means for securing said carrier bracket in said closed position..Iaddend..Iadd.23. The apparatus according to claim 22 including means on one end of said piston-cylinder unit for grasping said crosspiece, and means for the other end thereof for pivotably connecting said unit to said vessel..Iaddend..Iadd.24. The apparatus according to claim 23 including a pressure measuring device coupled to said piston-cylinder unit for measuring the force to overcome said sealing bias..Iaddend..Iadd.25. The apparatus according to claim 22 in which said mechanical holding means comprises elongated hooks for connecting said carrier bracket with respect to said vessel..Iaddend..Iadd.26. The apparatus according to claim 25 including means for adjusting the length of said hooks..Iaddend..Iadd.27. The apparatus according to claim 24 in which said mechanical holding means comprise elongated hooks for connecting said carrier bracket with respect to said vessel, and means on said hooks for adjusting the length thereof in response to the pressure measured by said measuring device..Iaddend..Iadd.28. The apparatus according to claim 25 in which said hooks each include means at one end for grasping said carrier bracket, and means at the other end for pivotal connection of said hooks with respect to said vessel..Iaddend..Iadd.29. The apparatus according to claim 28 including a mounting plate secured to said vessel, means in said mounting plate for mounting said head plate in overlying relation to said vessel pour opening, and means on said mounting plate for pivotally connecting said hooks at said other ends thereof..Iaddend..Iadd.30. The apparatus according to claim 21 in which said closing means includes an eccentric member engageable with said carrier bracket, means for mounting said eccentric member for rotational movement for varying the engaging force between said eccentric member and said carrier bracket and means for removably engaging said eccentric member with respect to said carrier bracket..Iaddend..Iadd.31. The apparatus according to claim 30 in which said eccentric member-disposing means comprises a pair of oppositely spaced arms having one end of each thereof pivotally connected with respect to said vessel and the other end thereof journaling said eccentric member for rotation about an axis extending transversely of said arms..Iaddend..Iadd.32. The apparatus according to claim 31 including means for locking said eccentric member in a plurality of angularly displaced positions of rotation whereby the engaging force between said eccentric member and said carrier bracket is adjusted..Iaddend..Iadd.33. The apparatus according to claim 32 including a polygonally-shaped head formed on one end of said eccentric member, means forming a stop carried by said arms and cooperable with said head for holding said eccentric member in respective angularly displaced positions for maintaining the engaging force between said eccentric memeber and said carrier bracket..Iaddend..Iadd.34. The apparatus according to claim 31 including means forming a nose projecting from said carrier bracket for engagement with said eccentric member..Iaddend..Iadd.35. The apparatus according to claim 34 in which said nose includes a support member emgageable with said eccentric member and exchangeably attached to said carrier bracket for varying the deflection imparted to said carrier bracket by said eccentric member to adjust the sealing bias between said head and slide plates..Iaddend..Iadd.36. The apparatus according to claim 31 including means for releasably locking said eccentric member with respect to said carrier bracket, said means comprising a headed bolt attached to said carrier bracket to define a recess thereon, and a safety catch formed by a lever pivotally connected to one of said arms and removably disposable in said recess when said eccentric member is operably disposed to said carrier bracket..Iaddend..Iadd.37. A closure valve apparatus for a pour opening of a bottom pour vessel including a reciprocally displaceable slide plate having a sealing surface and a through-passage for controlling flow from said pour opening; a drive for said slide plate including a piston-and-cylinder unit disposed such that its centerline in the operating position is substantially parallel to said slide gate sealing surface; coupling means including members associated with a piston rod of said unit and an intermediate piece for operating said slide plate, respectively, said coupling members being disposed so as to become mutually engaged upon pivoting motion of the piston-and-cylinder unit in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of said sealing surface, a pair of oppositely disposed pivot pins extending from said cylinder unit, and a pair of oppositely spaced, upwardly open recesses in said valve apparatus for reception of said pins; and a mounting ramp disposed adjacent each of said recesses for guiding the movement of said pins into said recesses..Iaddend..Iadd.38. The apparatus according to claim 37 in which the upper surfaces of said ramps each contain an upwardly inclined,

concave curvature adjacent to the associated recess..Iaddend..Iadd.39. The apparatus according to claim 37 in which said valve apparatus includes a housing for guiding the reciprocating movement of said slide plate, and a housing carrier securing said housing, and in which said recesses and said ramps are formed on lugs disposed on oppositely facing sides of said housing carrier..Iaddend..Iadd.40. The apparatus according to claim 38 including a convexly rounded transition portion disposed between each ramp and the associated recess..Iaddend..Iadd.41. The apparatus according to claim 39 including first pivot means for pivoting said housing carrier about a pivot axis transverse to the direction of movement of said slide gate, second pivot means on said housing for pivoting said housing with respect to said housing carrier, said first and second pivot means parallel to, and disposed on, the same plane as said oppositely extending pivot pins on said cylinder unit when operably disposed in said recesses..Iaddend..Iadd.42. The apparatus according to claim 41 including oppositely extending coupling pins on one of said coupling members, and coupling recesses for reception of said pins on the other of said coupling members, said coupling pins, when received in said coupling recesses, being parallel to, and disposed in substantially the same plane as, said first and second pivot means..Iaddend..Iadd.43. The apparatus according to claim 37 including means forming an upstanding projection at the free end of each ramp..Iaddend..Iadd.44. The apparatus according to claim 37 in which said pivot pins extending from said cylinder unit are formed as

rotatable rolls..Iaddend..Iadd.45. A closure valve apparatus for a pour opening of a bottom pour vessel, comprising

a head plate fixedly secured with respect to said vessel, said head plate having a pour passage communicating with said vessel pour opening and a slide surface substantially perpendicular to the axis of said pour passage,

a slide plate containing a pour passage and a slide surface for sliding engagement with said head plate slide surface,

means for supporting said slide plate for sliding surface-to-surface contact with said head plate, said means including;

a slide frame having said slide plate mounted therein, means for imparting a sealing bias between said slide plate and said head plate,

a housing for guiding said slide frame for reciprocating movement with respect to said head plate,

means for moving said slide frame within said housing to displace said slide plate pour passage into and out of communication with said head plate pour passage,

means for mounting said housing for pivotal movement with respect to said vessel bottom between a closed position in which said plates are in sliding engagement with each other and an open position in which said plates are accessible, and

closing means for moving said housing into said closed position and for maintaining it therein with respect to said vessel bottom including;

a fluidly operated piston-cylinder unit releasably engageable with said housing and operable to move said housing into said closed position, and

holding means connectable with said housing and containing setting means for adjusting the sealing bias between said slide plate and the head

plate..Iaddend..Iadd.46. The apparatus according to claim 45 in which said setting means comprises an eccentric member engageable with said housing, means for mounting said eccentric member for rotational movement for varying the engaging force between said eccentric member and said housing and means for removably engaging said eccentric member with respect to said housing..Iaddend..Iadd.47. The apparatus according to claim 46 in which said eccentric-mounting member comprises arm means having one end pivotally connected with respect to said vessel and the other end thereof containing means for journaling said eccentric member for rotation..Iaddend..Iadd.48. The apparatus according to claim 46 in which said eccentric includes a polygonally-shaped head formed on one end thereof, and means forming a stop carried by said arm means and cooperable with said head for holding said eccentric member in respective angularly disposed positions for adjustably maintaining the engaging force between said eccentric member and said housing..Iaddend..Iadd.49. The apparatus according to claim 47 including means forming a nose projecting from said housing for engagement with said eccentric member..Iaddend..Iadd.50. The apparatus according to claim 49 in which said nose includes an exchangeable support member carried by said housing and engageable with said eccentric member for varying the deflection imparted to said housing by said eccentric member to adjust the sealing bias between said head and

slide plates..Iaddend..Iadd.51. The apparatus according to claim 47 including means for releasably locking said eccentric member with respect to said housing, said means comprising a body on said housing defining a recess, and a safety catch formed by a lever pivotally connected to side arm means and removably disposable in side recess when said eccentric member is operably disposed with respect to said housing..Iaddend.