US3307841A

US3307841A - Tilting converter with a bow-shaped carrier frame and an exchangeable converter vessel

Info

Publication number: US3307841A
Application number: US324620A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lixenfeld Wolfgang
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-11-23
Filing date: 1963-11-19
Publication date: 1967-03-07
Anticipated expiration: 1984-03-07
Also published as: AT251619B

Description

March 9. 7 w. LIXENFELD 3,307,841 TILTING CONVERTER WITH A BOW-SHAPED CARRIER FRAME I AND AN EXCHANGEABLE CONVERTER VESSEL Filed NOV. 19, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l ,March 7, I967 W.'LIXENFEl- D 3,307,841

TILTING CONVERTER WITH A BOW-SHAPED CARRIER FRAME AND AN EXCHANGEABLE CONVERTER VESSEL Filed Nov. 19, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 14 0034; 4 /XE/VFL 0 United States Patent 3,307,841 Patented Mar. 7, 1967 3,307,841 TILTING CONVERTER WITH A BOW-SHAPED CARRIER FRAME AND AN EXCHANGE- ABLE CQNVERTER VESSEL Wolfgang Lixenfeld, Zweibrucker Str. 15, Coiogne-Nippes, Germany Filed Nov. 19, 1963, Ser. No. 324,620 Claims priority, appliclgtign Germany, Nov. 23, 1962, Claims. (Cl. 266-36) This invention relates to a tilting converter for steel manufacture, provided with a bow-shaped carrier frame in which is positioned an exchangeable converter vessel which can be deposited on a car having a slidable platform.

The known types of converter carrier frames are mostly of bow-shaped or ring-shaped configuration, and, as such, are customarily installed or set in between the converter vessel and the converter carrier frame in such a manner that the tilting trunnions of the vessel are arranged simultaneously in the carrier frame and in the converter stand. According to another type of converter, it has been proposed to have a separate journal arrangement where the converter vessel is carried with claws or arms in the carrier frame, and this vessel is first journalled by means of trunnion pins in the converter stand.

The present invention relates to an improvement on the last-mentioned separate journal arrangement, which has as its basic object to provide a device which undertakes, with the aid of the carrier frame, to make it possible to exchange the converter vessel without requiring the generally customary hub installations usually arranged either on the carrier frame or on the converter stand or on a converter transport carriage, which hub installations must be especially carefully perfected and fitted according to the size of the vessel.

An object of this invention resides in the provision of a tilting converter provided with means for raising and lowering the vessel thereof while permitting the tiltable vessel to remain in a vertical position.

A further object of the invention lies in the use of a carrier frame on which a tilting vessel is removably journalled by trunnions. The carrier frame itself is mounted by means of tilting stub shafts on a support stand with the tilting stub shafts offset from the trunnions. The use of locking means between the carrier frame and the vessel permit the alternative use of the tilting drive means normally used for tilting the vessel to be used for raising and lowering the vessel to facilitate replacement thereof.

An additional object of the invention is to provide for removal and exchange of tilting vessels from a carrier therefor, by means of detachable bearing assemblies.

Thus, it may be seen that, in accordance with the concepts of this invention there is provided a tilting converter having a support stand with tipping pins rotatably mounted in said stand. There is a bow-shaped carrier frame fixed to said tipping pins, and an exchangeable tilting vessel having trunnions fixed thereto is journalled in the carrier frame. The trunnions are offset from said tipping pins. Means are provided on said tipping pins for rotating said tipping pins and hence said carrier frame to raise and lower said tilting vessel.

To these ends, and in accordance with the present invention, the converter vessel can be journalled over its carrier trunnions by detachable-cover journals located in the bow-shaped swingable carrier frame, and this frame in turn, with its pin for engaging the vessel for tilting purposes, is journalled on trunnions in a converter support stand. The converter vessel is exchangeable with the aid of the swingable carrier frame. By means of this arrangement it is possible to achieve an exchange of one r trunnions.

converter vessel for another by a simple swinging or pivoting motion of the bow-shaped carrier frame.

According to a further feature of the invention, when the converter vessel is in its operating position, the respective journal centers in the bow-shaped carrier frames for the carrier trunnions as well as for the tilting pins each preferably lie.on the longitudinal axis of the vessel. By this arrangement the flow of forces can be taken over in a simple manner from both of the journal places.

To obtain a desired influence of the progress of the converter tipping moment, it is advantageous if, in accordance with a further feature of the invention, in the operating position of the converter vessel the tilting pin bearings located in the bow-shaped carrier frame are arranged opposed to the vessel trunnion journal and offset relative to the longitudinal axis of the vessel.

For an appropriate opposed journalling of the vessel it is further provided, in accordance with another feature of the invention, that the vessel is joined with the bowshaped carrier frame by means of a nesting bolt which engages a lug in the vessel and rests within a recess of the carrier frame, the direction of the engaged nesting bolt being such that its extended axis intersects the longitudinal axis of the vessel at the central horizontal axis of the This nesting pin is only disengaged for an exchange of vessels and is replaced into position again into the newly exchanged vessel.

In order to provide for a pendulous movement of the vessel during operation, in accordance with a further feature of the invention, the converter vessel can also be connected to the bow-shaped carrier frame by means of a penduiously arranged oscillating device, guided by means of a pin guide or trunnion guide on the vessel whereby the converter can be set into a to and fro pendulous swinging motion to provide an agitation of the molten bath during and/or after the oxygen blowing operation.

In order to carry out a rapid exchange of the converter vessel, in accordance with a further feature of the invention, the detachable journals for the carrier trunnions may be equipped with securing elements. This securing can be carried out preferably by means of one or several pins which can be suitably held fast relative to the trunnions by means of hydraulically or pneumatically actuable pistons, or through adjustable threaded spindles.

The swinging movement of the bow-shaped frame for the purpose of exchanging the vessels can be brought about by means of the already provided tilting drive, so that a special swinging movement drive or hub turning device is unnecessary.

These, together with various ancillary and other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description. In the accompanying drawings, various illustrative preferred embodiments of the invention are set forth, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a converter with an exchangeable vessel in operating position, shown in a partial cross section together witha carriage wagon and bow-shaped carrier frame;

FIG. 2 is a partial front view of the vessel of FIG. 1 with a fragmentary cross section taken through the carrier trunnion bearing;

FIG. 3 is a side view in accordance with FIG. 1 except that the carrier frame is shown in a different position corresponding to a lowered position of the converter vessel;

FIGS. 4 through 7 illustrate respectively different embodiments of several other journals for the converter carrier trunnions;

FIG. 8 is a cross section taken along line VIII-VIII of FIG. 7.

The same or similar parts are designated by like characters throughout several views.

In FIGS. 1 and 2 there is shown a converter vessel illustrated in its operating position with its carrier runnions 2 pivotally supported in a bow-shaped carrier rame 3 having detachable-cover journal 3a. The carier frame 3 which is provided with a vessel-engaging lidable pin 13 which can fit into a recess 1a in the lower :uter side wall of the vessel 1. The pin 13 is slidably mounted for longitudinal motion in a cylinder bore 312 y means of its pistol head, movable by means of a hylraulic or pneumatic pressure device or by means such .s a screw spindle. This pin 13 is arranged in a direcion so that its extended axis intersects the point of interection of the vessel axis y and the axis x of the tilting hafts 4.

The bow-shaped carrier frame 3 is mounted in the :onverter support stand 24 by means of the two tilting tub shafts 4 which shafts at the same time are provided 11 one or both sides with a tipping drive (not shown) or tilting the vessel 1 by means of gears 14, as shown [1 FIG. 2. The carrier trunnions 2 and the tipping hafts 4 in operating position of the vessel both lie on the ongitudinal axis y, and are journalled in the bow-shaped arrier frame 3.

After the vessel 1 has been deposited onto the platform L1, as is shown in FIG. 3, the carrier trunnions 2 and the ipping shafts 4 located in the journal places of the carier bow frame 3 become offset, that is their centers are ccentrically located from each other a distance a. This listance a is also illustrated in FIG. 1. If the vessel must be set down, in order to make any necessary relairs to the refractory lining which may have become trongly eroded during the oxygen blowing operation by neans of the oxygen lance 50, or in order to repair any vther damage which may have taken place, this is ccomplished by means of a swinging upward of the bow rame 3 to the position of FIG. 3. The vessel is detosited onto a carriage 20, provided with a platform 21 vhich is transversely slidably by means of a crank 22.

By a further swinging of the bow frame 3 upwardly bout the angle a, the vessel 1, after loosening and deaching its cover bearing 3a, can be transported away by neans of the carriage wagon 20 and a reconditioned subtitute vessel 1 can now be introduced on a second simiar carriage wagon 20. After an adjustment of its horiontal stub-shaft axis 2 over the transversely slida-ble llatform 21, the bow 3 frame can then be swung down lift up this substitute vessel by engaging its carrier runnions 2. The bearings 3a on the bow frame 3 en- ;age the carrier pins 2, so that after a downward swingng movement of the bow frame 3 the vessel comes into he operating position of FIG. 1. The pins 13 located n the carrier bow 3 are shifted into place to engage the ecesses 1a of the converter vessel 1.

The bow frame 3 can also be provided on its transerse yoke with an additional swinging device for persitting a pendulous movement of the vessel 1, by means f a linkage (not shown) or pendulum pins at the locaion of the pins 13.

With the aid of the swingable bow frame 3, in accordnce with the invention, it is thus possible in a simple ."lanner and within a short time to accomplish an exhange of the converter vessel 1 whereby the adjustment f the value a for the mutually eccentric positioning of he carrier trunnions 2 and the tilting shafts 4, each iloated in the carrier bow frame 3, provides a construcive leverage apparatus for a lifting up of the great weight f the vessel 1 and from its raised position to lower and .eposit it onto the carriage wagon 20.

The tilting shafts 4 which, as illustrated in FIG. 1, are ertically aligned under the carrier pins 2 in the carrier ow frame 3 in the operating position of the vessel, need lot necessarily be mounted at the point of intersection /I of the longitudinal axis y of the vessel with the horizontal axis x of the tipping shafts 4. The lateral posiioning (relative to FIG. 1) of the tipping shafts can,

in accordance with the invention, be carried out also outside of this longitudinal axis y, either towards the right along the horizontal axis x to increase the value a, or to the left up to the point M to reduce the value a until the value a become zero. By this positioning of the stub-shafts 4, there must however follow simultaneously also a corresponding eccentric positioning of the tilting drive 14 with a change of the tilting moment of the vessel 1. By means of the same shafts 4, the abovementioned swinging device of the vessel 1 can act upon the molten bath of liquid located within the vessel, whereby this eccentric positioning is made to achieve an intensive mixing of the melt with an increased efliciency of reaction therein.

The detachable housing for the journal of the carrier trunnions 2 of the exchangeable vessel 1 comprises, for example, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, of a simple cover bearing 3a which is threadedly attachable. In order to decrease the bearing friction about the carrier pins 2, there can be arranged suitable bearing cups or races, provided with balls, rollers or the like. The example of an embodiment of a bearing according to FIG. 4 illustrates, on the carrier trunnions 2, journal bodies 43 which are slidable and which are threadedly engageable at their flanges, with the bow frame 3. The bearing bodies 43 are provided with an inner race 42 and with a trapezoidal-shaped bottom which guidingly engages with lateral play a trapezoidal-shaped recess 35 of the bow frame 3 to permit guiding of the journal body 43 into place. The inclined surface 45a of the bearing housing must in this case correspond at least to the slope position y-3 of the vessel axis y when the bow frame 3 is in upper pivoted position for lifting the vessel.

In accordance with a further embodime nt of the bearing illustrated in FIG. 5, the carrier trunnions 2 of the vessel 1 are fixedly mounted within a cylinder of an upper extended neck 3h of the carrier frame 3. A piston guide is made slidably drivable in this cylinder, so that the pin end 51 can be guided into a predetermined recess located in the trunnion 2, as long as the vessel 1 remains in the illustrated position of FIG. 5 over and against the carrier frame 3 with the carrier frame in its resting position. Also, in accordance with this embodiment, a half cup 52 is provided below the trunnion 2 which can be provided with friction reducing means. By properly inclining the cup 52, relative to the axis y-3, the setting-in of the trunnions 2 can take place without lateral damage.

In accordance with the embodiment of FIG. 6 the vessel trunnions 2 are rotatably retained at both sides on the carrier frame 3 by means of hydraulically or pneumatically actuable pistons capable of moving towards and away from the trunnion pins 2. Bearing elements 61 are attached to the pistons 60 and have their ends shaped to conform to the contour of the trunnions 2, and a special semi-circular bottom cup bearing 62 is provided to minimize bearing friction.

In FIGS. 7 and 8 a separate embodiment is illustrated for guiding and locking the trunnion bearing in the carrier frame 3, locked bearing cups 72 rotatably mounted on the trunnions 2 are each provided with a protruding cam 73. The cam 73 is engageable with a semi-circular recess 30 located in the carrier frame 3. A securing bolt takes over the securing of the cup 72 to the frame 3, so that in order to exchange the vessel 1 this pin 80' must first be removed. The surface of recess 30 may also be provided with a corresponding friction-reducing bearing for a decrease in the bearing friction.

All of the bearing embodiments of FIGS. 4-8 are so arranged and layed out that they have securing means to prevent any self-loosening of the trunnion 2 from its bearing position in the carrier frame 3.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art, upon studying this disclosure, that devices according to my invention can be modified in various respects and hence may be embodied in apparatus other than particularly illustrated and described herein, without departing from the essential features of my investion and within the scope of the claims annexed hereto.

I claim:

1. A tilting converter comprising a support stand, tipping pins rotatably mounted in said stand, a bow-shaped carrier frame rfixed to said tipping pins, an exchangeable tilting vessel having trunnions fixed thereto, said trunnions being journalled in said carrier frame, said trunnions being offset from said tipping pins, and means on said tipping pins for rotating said tipping pins and hence said carrier frame to raise and lower said tilting vessel.

2. A tilting converter according to claim 1, wherein said tipping pins and said trunnions lie in alignment along the vertically extending longitudinal axis of said tilting vessel when said vessel is in operating position.

3. A tilting converter according to claim 1, wherein said trunnions are eccentric to the longitudinal axis of said tilting vessel when said vessel is in operating position.

4. A tilting converter comprising a support stand, tipping pins rotatably mounted in said stand, a bow-shaped carrier frame fixed to said tipping pins, an exchangeable tilting vessel having trunnions fixed thereto, said trunnions being journalled in said carrier frame, said trunnions being offset from said tipping pins, operating means on said tipping pins for rotating said tipping pins and hence said carrier frame to raise and lower said tilting vessel, and locking means on said carrier frame for detachably locking said carrier frame to said tilting vessel for tilting said tilting vessel upon actuation of said operating means.

5. A tilting converter according to claim 4 wherein said locking means includes a pin having an axis, the extension of said pin axis intersecting the intersection point of the longitudinal axis of said tilting vessel and the axis of said tilting pins when said frame is in position for operation of said vessel.

6. A tilting converter according to claim 5 wherein said locking means includes an axially movable pin on 6 said carrier frame, said tilting vessel having a recess therein, said pin being engageable in said recess.

7. A tilting converter comprising a support stand, tipping pins rotatably mounted in said stand, a bow-shaped carrier frame fixed to said tipping pins, an exchangeable tilting vessel having trunnions fixed thereto, said trunnions being journalled in said carrier frame, said trunnions being offset from said tipping pins, and means having a guide mounted on said carrier frame for swingably joining said carrier frame to said tilting vessel so as to permit constrained swinging motion of said vessel relative to said frame during operation of the converter.

8. A tilting converter comprising a support stand, tipping pins rotatably mounted in said stand, a bow-shaped carrier frame fixed to said tipping pins, an exchangeable tilting vessel having trunnions fixed thereto, bearing means journalling said trunnions in said carrier frame, said trunnions being offset from said tipping pins, means on said tipping pins for rotating said tipping pins and hence said carrier frame to raise and lower said tilting vessel, said bearing means being detachable and replaceable, and security elements for holding said trunnions in said bearing means.

9. A tilting converter according to claim 8 wherein said security elements include fluid actuated piston means on said carrier frame for engaging said trunnions.

10. A tilting converter according to claim 8 wherein said security elements include spindles threadedly secured to said carrier frame.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,042,876 10/ 1912 Blackwood 2663 6 1,266,828 5/ 1918 Lane 2282 2,094,736 10/1937 Coffey 2281 FOREIGN PATENTS 825,455 12/ 1951 Germany.

Joins F. CAMPBELL, Primary Examiner.

.T. M. ROMANCHIK, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. A TILTING CONVERTER COMPRISING A SUPPORT STAND, TIPPING PINS ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID STAND, A BOW-SHAPED CARRIER FRAME FIXED TO SAID TIPPING PINS, AN EXCHANGEABLE TILTING VESSEL HAVING TRUNNIONS FIXED THERETO, SAID TRUNNIONS BEING JOURNALLED IN SAID CARRIER FRAME, SAID TRUN-