GB2102701A - Motion control equipment and gunning apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Equipment for controlling the motion of a spray pipe in the repair of refractory linings of vessels, e.g., furnaces or ladles, comprises first and second support structures 1, 13 mutually spaced apart, hydraulic oscillation generating means 9, 10 mounted on the first support structure 1 and engaging the second support structure whereby the latter may be oscillated with respect to the former. Rotary drive motor 16 is carried by the second support structure and hence oscillatable thereby and adapted to rotate, at a selected speed, a spray pipe associated with a support tube 7. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Motion control equipment and gunning apparatus This invention relates to equipment for controlling motion of a spray pipe for the repair of refractory linings of vessels such as furnaces and ladles, by the gunning technique, and to gunning apparatus incorporating such equipment.

Conventionally, lining repair is effected by introducing refractory repair material into the vessel along a pipe, which may terminate in a discharge head or nozzle. In order to achieve accurate and efficient spraying of the refractory material, it is necessary to control the position of the nozzle on the pipe easily and accuratey, and whilst for the repair of linings of relatively small vessels, satisfactory pipe control can be effected by hand, this procedure is impractical for relatively large vessels and the present invention is aimed at providing equipment and gunning apparatus which are particularly suitable for repairing the linings of large vessels.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided equipment for controlling motion of a spray pipe for the repair of refractory linings of vessels, the equipment comprising first and second support structures mutually spaced apart, oscillation generating means mounted on the first support structure and engaging the second support structure whereby the latter may be oscillated with respect to the former, and rotary drive means carried by the second support structure and hence oscillatable thereby and adapted to rotate, at a selected speed, a spray pipe associated with the equipment.

The oscillation generating means may comprise a motor (which may be electric, hydraulic or pneumatic) and an eccentric or cam. In detail, the eccentric may comprise a pin engageable in a slot in the second support structure and carried by a disc or cam wheel mounted on an output shaft of the motor.

Preferably, the disc incorporates a plurality of apertures, located at different radii, to provide a selection of alternative pin positions and hence to provide a range of selectable oscillation amplitudes. Furthermore, the motor may be radially adjustable with respect to the axis of oscillation, to provide for further variation of oscillation amplitude. In detail, adjustment of the motor may be effected by mounting the motor on at least one screw-threaded collar mounted on a worm which is rotatable, to adjust the distance of the oscillation generating means from the axis of oscillation, by a second motor (which may be electric, hydraulic or pneumatic). Alternatively, the oscillation generating equipment may be mounted on slide rails secured to the first support structure, and connected to a hydraulic doubleacting piston and cylinder unit also secured to the first support structure.

The means to effect rotation of the spray pipe may comprise basically a motor (which may be electric, hydraulic or pneumatic) and speed reduction gearing or a chain drive to provide a rotary drive for the spray pipe. In detail, the output shaft of the motor may carry a pinion in mesh with a first gear wheel mounted on a shaft, a second gear wheel mounted on the same shaft in mesh with a third gear wheel supported in bearings from the second support structure.

In a first embodiment in which the spray pipe is required to operate in a generally vertical position, the third gear wheel may be apertured to receive engaging elements carried by the spray pipe or a surrounding outer pipe to define an annular water jacket thereof, to transmit rotation thereto. Preferably, the third gear wheel is provided with both axial and radial bearings.

In a second embodiment in which the spray pipe is required to operate in a generally horizontal position, then transmission of rotational forces to the spray pipe, or its surrounding outer pipe if provided, may be effected frictionally e.g. through a milled steel wheel clamped against the pipe periphery or through a rubber tyred wheel in engagement with the pipe periphery.

If the second support structure is supported from the first support structure, bearings are preferably interposed between the two structures at suitable locations to accommodate the oscillations of the second support structure.

For instance, in the first embodiment, the second support structure is conveniently located above the fist support structure.

Conveniently, the first support structure also carries guide means for the spray pipe. Such guide means may be secured beneath the first support structure (in the first embodiment) or adjacent the vessel (in the second embodiment) and may comprise at least one bearing (and preferably two linearly spaced bearings) defining an aperture through which the spray pipe is adapted to pass, the bearing(s) being capable of accommodating both rotational motion and longitudinal motion of the spray pipe.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided gunning apparatus for the repair of refractory linings of vessels, the apparatus comprising equipment as defined above incorporating a spray pipe, and means to determine, or adjust, the axial position of the spray pipe with respect to the apparatus.

In circumstances in which the spray pipe is required to operate in a generally vertical position, the means to determine the axial position of the spray pipe with respect to the apparatus may comprise a collar, disc or spider rigidly attached to the spray pipe, or any outer jacket in a radial plane and incorporating engaging elements, constituted by at least two legs, adapted to engage corresponding apertures in the third pinion of the rotation means for the spray pipe. For axial adjustment of the spray pipe, lifting/lowering means may be provided on the first or second support structure.

However, in a preferred embodiment, the spray pipe proper is surrounded by a coaxial outer pipe so that they together define an annular water jacket, the outer pipe and spray pip being attached to one another at various locations, and the collar, disc or spider being attached to the outer pipe. It follows with this embodiment that the outer pipe would also be engaged by the or each bearing of the guide means.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of motion control equipment in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1 with the second support structure removed for clarity; and Figure 3 is a plan view of the second support structure.

In the drawings equipment for controlling the motion of, e.g., a spray pipe for the repair of refractory linings of vessels such as ladles has a first support structure 1 in the form of a beam having a bracket 2 at one end such that the beam can be secured such as by bolts to connecting mechanism 3 to locate the equipment, e.g. to lifting and lowering means on a driven wheeled structure such as a truck with a lifting and lowering arm. Mounted on the beam 1 is a double-acting hydraulic piston and cylinder unit 4 connected to oscillation generation means 5 mounted on slide rails 6 themselves located on the beam 1. At the opposite end to the beam 1 from the bracket 2 there is provided support means 7 for a spray pipe in the form of a pipe suitably secured, e.g., by welding to the beam 1 and having at its opposite end a flange 8.

The oscillation generation means 5 is formed by a hydraulic motor 9 driving a cam wheel 10 at the periphery of which is connection means 11 engaging in a slot 1 2 in a second support structure 1 3 formed by an arm 14 secured to an annular flange 1 5 which encircles the pipe 7 and is secured to the flange 8 and the pipe 7 such as by bolts, the bolts passing through slots in the flanges 8, of a length greater than the maximum degree of oscillation of the second support structure, to hold the second support structure in spaced parallel relationship to the beam 1.

At the opposite end to the annular flange 15, the arm 1 4 has mounted thereon a variable speed hydraulic motor 1 6 driving a sprocket 1 7 engaging a chain drive 1 8 extending to a drive sprocket 1 9 adapted to engage the spray pipe passing through then pipe 7.

Thus, after determination of the extent to which repair of, e.g., a ladle lining is required, the equipment of the invention is brought above the ladle and the spray pipe lowered into the ladle until its end is in line with the area of lining to be repaired. The variable hydraulic motor 1 6 is then activated to rotate the spray pipe to any point through 360 to provide its outlet facing the area to the repaired and the motor 1 6 then switched off to effectively hold the spray pipe in its required position. The hydraulic motor 9 is then activated to oscillate the second support mechanism 1 3 at a speed determined by the speed of the motor 9 and over an arc determined by the position of the oscillation generation means 5 on the slide rails 6.

To allow still further varation of the degree of oscillation of the second support structure, the cam wheel 10 can be provided with a number of fixing holes in th connecting means 11 so that the distance of the fixing means from the axis of rotation of the cam wheel 10 can be varied.

When repair is required over substantially the whole of a 360 arc, the oscillation generating means can be operated simultaneously with the continuous driving of the motor 1 6 and whereby the spray nozzle on the spray pipe does not rotate at a constant speed as the rotary motion is overlaid by the osciliatory motion imposed on the spray pipe, this increasing the efficiency of application of refractory material to the lining.

To provide additional support for the spray pipe a support bearing capable of allowing both axial and rotational movement of the spray pipe can be secured as shown at 20 in Fig. 1 when the spray pipe is being operated in a generally downward vertical disposition.

When the spray pipe is being used as a snorkle, i.e., is being operated in a generally upward vertical disposition, the bearing 20 can be secured to the top of a cover member 21.

Claims (16)

1. Equipment for controlling motion of a spray pipe for the repair of refractory linings of vessels comprising first and second support structures mutually spaced apart, oscillation generating means mounted on the first support structure and engaging the second support structure whereby the latter may be oscillated with respect to the former, and rotary drive means carried by the seond support structure and hence oscillatable thereby and adapted to rotate, at a selected speed, a spray pipe associated with the equipment.

2. Equipment as in Claim 1, wherein the oscillation generating means comprises a motor driving an eccentric or cam.

3. Equipment as in Claim 2, wherein the eccentric comprises a pin engageable in a slot in the seond support structure and carried by a disc mounted on an output shaft of the motor.

4. Equipment as in Claim 3, wherein the disc incorporates a plurality of apertures, located at different radii, to provide a selection of alternative pin positions and hence to provide a range of selectable oscillation amplitudes.

5. Equipment as in any of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the oscillation generating means is mounted on the first support structure such as to. be adjustable along its length.

6. Equipment as in Claim 5, wherein the oscillation generating means is mounted on slide rails secured to the first support structure, and connected to a double-acting hydraulic piston and cylinder unit also secured to the first support structure, to adjust the distance of the oscillation generating means from the axis of oscillation.

7. Equipment as in Claim 5, wherein the oscillation generating means is mounted on a worm which is rotatable, to adjust the distance of the oscillation generating means from the axis of oscillation, by a second motor (which may be electric, hydraulic or pneumatic).

8. Equipment as in any of Claims 1 to 7, wherein the means to effect rotation of the spray pipe comprises a motor and speed reduction gearing or a chain drive.

9. Equipment as in Claim 8, wherein when employing speed reduction gearing one gear wheel is apertured to receive engaging elements- carried by the spray pipe or a surrounding outer pipe to define an annular water jacket thereof, to transmit rotation thereto.

10. Equipment as in Claim 8 or Claim 9, wherein when employing reduction gearing transmission of rotational forces to the spray pipe, or its surrounding outer pipe if provided is effected frictionally.

11. Equipment as in Claim 8, wherein when employing a chain drive a driven sprocket is secured directly or indirectly to the spray pipe or any surrounding outer pipe.

1 2. Gunning apparatus for the repair of refractory linings of vessels comprising equipment as any of Claims 1 to 11 and means to determine or adjust the axial position of the spray pipe with respect to the apparatus.

1 3. Gunning apparatus as in Claim 12, wherein the means to determine the axial position of the spray pipe with respect to the apparatus is a collar, disc or spider rigidly attached to the spray pipe, or any outer jacket, in a radial plane and incorporating engaging elements, constituted by at least two legs, adapted to engage the rotation means for the spray pipe.

14. Equipment as in any of Claims 1 to 1 3 and with the spray pipe intended to be used in a generally downward vertical disposition, the spray pipe is additionally supported by a bearing secured below the first support structure, said bearing accommodating both linear and rotary motion.

1 5. Equipment as in any of Claims 1 to 1 3 and with the spray pipe intended to be used in a generally upward vertical disposition, the spray pipe is additionally supported by a bearing secured on an enclosing housing for the equipment, said bearing accommodating both linear and rotary motion of the spray pipe.

16. Equipment for controlling motion of a spray pipe for the repair of refractory linings of vessels substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.