GB2060846A

GB2060846A - Charger of molten metal, particularly for chill machines

Info

Publication number: GB2060846A
Application number: GB8030178A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Italpresse SpA
Current assignee: Italpresse SpA
Priority date: 1979-10-10
Filing date: 1980-09-18
Publication date: 1981-05-07
Also published as: ES253238U; FR2467033A3; FR2467033B3; ES253238Y; IT7922828V0; GB2060846B; DE8026429U1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a charger of molten metal, particularly for chill machines, comprising, in combination, a fixed pedestal (2), a turret (3) rotatably supported by said pedestal, a vertically sliding saddle (5) constrained to said turret for its rotation, a horizontal arm (16) carried by said saddle in an axially sliding manner, a vertical arm (25) extending downwards from said horizontal arm and a molten metal take-off and pouring ladle (27) supported by said vertical arm in an inclinable manner. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Charger of molten metal, particularly for chill machines The object of the present invention is a charger of molten metal, the preferred use of which is for filling chill machines.

The charger according to the invention is characterized by the fact that it comprises, in combination, a fixed pedestal, a turret supported rotatably by said pedestal, a vertically sliding saddle constrained to said turret for its rotation, a horizontal arm carried by said saddle in an axially movable manner, a vertical arm extending downwards from said horizontal arm and a molten metal take-off and pouring arm supported in inclinable fashion by said vertical arm.

The inclination of the ladle is preferably controlled by a motor-driven rotating shaft disposed coaxially within said horizontal arm and by a sliding rod disposed coaxially within said vertical arm and hinge-connected to said inclinable ladle, the shaft and the rod being operationally connected by a rack and pinion coupling.

The major advantage of the charger according to the invention is its complete range of movements, as a result of which the charger is extremely versatile and able, in particular, to charge in rapid succession several chill machines of equal or different height arranged in a circle, which need not be perfectly regular, with the use to such end of one or more melting furnaces, in their turn arranged in a circle.

Another advantage of the charger according to the invention is its extreme constructional simplicity, from which follows a corresponding simplicity of operation.

The characteristics of the present invention are more fully evidenced in the following detailed description of one form of practical embodiment thereof, illustrated by way of example in the attached drawings, in which: -Figure 1 is an overall perspective view of a charger according to the invention; -Figure 2 is a top plan view of the charger, in conjunction with a group of chill machines and melting furnaces arranged in a circle; -Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of the charger in the direction of the line Ill-Ill of Fig. 2; -Figure 4 is a plan sectional view of the rotating turret of said charger, in the direction of the line IV-IV of Fig. 3;; --Figure 5 is a sectional view of the horizontal arm translation control system, in the direction of the line V-V of Fig. 3; -Figure 6 is a sectional view of said control system, in the direction of the line VI-VI of Fig. 5; -Figure 7 is a view of the horizontal arm with related system for ladle inclination control, seen from the left with respect to Fig. 1; --Figure 8 is a view of said vertical arm seen from the left with respect to Fig. 7, with parts in axial section; -Figure 9 is a sectional view along the line IX-IX of Fig. 7.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in which it is indicated in its totality by the reference number 1, the charger described for purposes of exemplification comprises in general a fixed pedestal 2 on which is rotatably arranged a turret 3, within which a saddle 5 can slide vertically along a pair of guide bars 4.

It is seen from Fig. 3 that the turret 3 is pivoted on the pedestal 2 by means of a pivot 6 and receives rotation control through the coupling between a gear 7 solid with the pedestal and a gear 8 mounted on the shaft of a drive group 9 supported by a broadened base 10 of the turret and including an electric motor of permanent magnet type and an appropriate reduction unit. The saddle 5, on the other hand, has motion imparted to it by a similar drive group 11 mounted at the top of the turret 3 (Figs. 1 and 2) which rotates a gear wheel 1 2 (Fig. 3) which, together with an idle gear wheel 36 is in engagement with a chain 1 3 connecting the saddle 5 to a cunterweight 14 housed in the turret 3 in a vertically sliding manner along the guide bars 1 5 (Figs. 3 and 4).

The saddle 5 supports in an axially sliding manner a hollow horizontal arm 16, to which are solidly attached at suitable distances, one on one side and the other on the other side of the saddle 5 and turret 3, two plates 1 7 connected by bars 1 8 which slidingly traverse the saddle 5. Between said plates 1 7 a chain 1 9 is stretched which is kept engaged with a gear wheel 20 with the aid of idle rollers 21 (Figs. 5 and 6). Said gear wheel 20 has movement imparted to it by the shaft 35 of a drive group 22 of the aforesaid type, supported by a support 34 constrained to the saddle 5.The engagement between the gear wheel 20 and the static chain 1 9 clearly allows the horizontal arm 1 6 to be moved axially, thus creating an "extension" of said arm.

Within the horizontal arm 1 6 a shaft 23 is coaxially disposed and is rotated by a drive group 24 of the aforesaid type mounted on one end of the arm 16, more exactly on the end which projects less from the complex consisting of the two plates 1 7 and bars 1 8 and which can be considered the rear end of said arm. To the front end of the horizontal arm 1 6 there is solidly connected a vertical arm 25 which extends downwards and carries at its lower end, pivoted at 26, an inclinable ladle 27 intended for the take-off and pouring of the molten metal.As Figs. 7, 8 and 9 show, the inclination of the ladle 27 can be varied with respect to the normal horizontal position by the axial sliding of a rod 28 slidingly housed within the vertical arm 25 and with its lower end connected in an articulated manner to the laddle 27 by means of a rod 29, and with its upper end provided with a rack portion 30 in engagement with a pinion 31 mounted on the front end of the rotating shaft 23.

By effect of the structure described, to which is added a suitable electronic control unit, not shown in the drawings, capable of controlling the movements of the charger according to pre-established programmes, the charger 1 proves particularly suited to operate as represented schematically in Fig. 2, that is to say for the purpose of charging one after the next several chill machines 32, of equal or different height, arranged in a circle which need not be regular, starting from several melting furnaces 33 also arranged in a circle.

For the performance of this operation the turret 3 is first rotated so as to bring the ladle 27, with the horizontal arm 1 6 suitably raised and extended longitudinally, above one of the melting furnaces 33. The saddle 5 is then lowered in order to introduce the ladle 27 into the furnace, the ladle being thereafter inclined and returned to the horizontal position for the take-off of the desired amount of metal.The saddle 5 is then raised again in order to remove the ladle from the furnace, the turret 3 is rotated to bring the ladle to a position above the first chill machine to be fed, the horizontal arm 1 6 is shifted forwards or backwards if the said chill machine is radially displaced with respect to the furnace and, finally, the saddle 5 is lowered again to bring the ladle 27 close to the mouth of the chill machine and the ladle is inclined so as to pour the amount of metal previously taken off from the furnace into the chill machine.

This operation is repeated for all the chill machines, each time taking off metal from the same furnace, until this is empty. The charger then shifts to another melting furnace, taking off from this the amounts of molten metal necessary to complete the filling of the chill machines.

As has been stated, all the aforesaid movements follow each other automatically under the control of the electronic control unit. This permits a high work-rate accompanied by outstanding positioning and metering precision.

The use of electric motors of permanent magnet type is particularly important for achieving a high work-date, in that they offer immediately high static torques to the nominal value, and thus also extremely rapid initial movements; they also offer a low inertia which permits very rapid arrest in the exact position selected.

Claims

1. A charger of molten metal, particularly for chill machines, characterized by the fact that it comprises, in combination, a fixed pedestal, a turret rotatably supported by said pedestal, a vertically saddle constrained to said turret for its rotation, a horizontal arm carried by said saddle in an axially sliding manner, a vertical arm extending downwards from said horizontal arm and a molten metal take-off and pouring ladle supported by said vertical arm in an inclinable manner.

2. A charger according to Claim 1, characterized by the fact that the inclination of the ladle is controlled by a rotating shaft disposed coaxially within said horizontal arm and featuring a motor constrained to said arm and a sliding rod disposed coaxially within said vertical arm and hinge-connected to said inclinable ladle, said shaft and said rod being operationally connected by means of a rack and pinion coupling.

3. A charger according to Claim 1, characterized by the fact that the axial sliding of the horizontal arm is controlled by a motor carried by said saddle and coupled by means of a gear wheel to a chain stretched between two static supports constrained rigidly to said arm.

4. A charger according to Claim 1, characterized by the fact that the vertical sliding of the saddle is controlled by a motor carried by said turret and coupled through a gear wheel to a chain connecting said saddle and a counterweight sliding vertically within said turret.

5. A charger according to Claim 1, characterized by the fact that the rotation of the turret is controlled by a motor carried by the turret and rotating a gear held in engagement with the periphery of a static gear disposed coaxially to said turret.

6. A charger according to Claims 2-5, characterized by the fact that said motors are of the permanent magnet type.