Ladle handling apparatus for continuous casting
United States Patent Rokop et al.  
 [ Apr. 15, 1975 Primary ExaminerStanley H. Tollberg Assistant ExaminerDavid A. Scherbel [75] Inventors: Joseph Rokop, P1ttsburgh; Geoffrey Attorney Agent or Firm Brown Murray, Flick &amp;  
 W. Hughes, McMurray, both of Pa.  
  Peckham [73] Assignee: Rokop Engineering, Pittsburgh, Pa. 22 Filed: July 19, 1974 ABSTRACT [21] APPL NOJ 490,118 A framework has a pair of spaced parallel horizontal ladle-supporting members along its top that support, directly or indirectly, the opposite ends of the cross [52] U.S. CI. 222/129; 105/163; 164/281; beam f a fi t m carrier, which suspends a ladle of 266/13 molten metal below the cross beam at a pouring sta- [51] Int. Cl. B22d 37/00 tion. A i f laterally Spaced carriages are mounted [58] Field of Search 164/335, 281; 266/13; on the same parallel members at a ladle standby 105/1631 270, 271; 222/160, 1 129; tion spaced from the pouring station, and the cross 212/101 18; 214/658 beam of a second ladle carrier is supported on these carriages and suspends a second ladle below it. After References Clted the first ladle carrier has been moved away from the UNITED STATES PATENTS pouring station, the carriages move the second ladle 250 312 11 1881 Walker 212/18 carrier to that Station 80 that casting can be main- 3,149,191 9/1964 McFeaters 61; al. 266/13 n bstantially Continuous. 3,435,882 4/1969 Falk 222/160 X 3,459,312 8/1969 Britcher et al 164/335 x 10 Clam, 5 Drawmg Figures &#34;&#39;j &#39;fi I 26 4 5 l I 1 I -=J% 39 5 ,69? ;1 ue -37 -35 4 l l l (l ,1 l l l &#39;2 l .2 /23l r2 /5 /4&#39; i ll [l&#39; l I l l l l 1 I .1 1 1 1 L3 l ,1/ I l) M/ 9 1 l 1 l l 7 i [ll 1 l l 8 a a a. a  
 1 l l L l h -r t 5 LADLIE HANDLING APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUS CASTING In the continuous casting of molten metal a ladle is carried to a position where metal poured from it can be delivered to a casting mold. Shortly after the ladle is emptied a full ladle takes its place. and this can go on as long as desired. To reduce the time lost between la dles. it has been proposed that they be lowered into cars that shuttle back and forth above the mold so that as soon as the ladle on one car is emptied the car can be moved to one side and the other car carrying a full ladle moved into pouring position. While the second ladle is pouring. the empty ladle is removed from its car and replaced by a full ladle ready to be moved back into pouring position. This system is satisfactory when there is enough head room above the cars for a crane to lift ladles from them and carry them away or to carry full ladles into positions above the cars and then lower ladles. However. in some buildings where it is desired to install continuous casting apparatus. there is not enough head room for such an arrangement.  
  It is. therefore. an object of this invention to provide continuous casting apparatus in which ladles can easily be moved into pouring position and replaced even though there is only enough head room to lift the ladles a few inches in the framework that supports them during pouring. Another object is to provide such apparatus that is simpler and less expensive than known heretofore.  
  The preferred embodiment of the invention is illus&#39; trated in the accompanying drawings. in which FIG. I is a fragmentary end view of the upper part of the apparatus.  
  FIG. 2 is a more complete vertical section taken on the line lI-II of FIG. 1.:  
  FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on the line III-III of FIG. 1;  
 FIG. 4 is a plan view of FIG. 3: and  
  FIG. 5 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line \&#39;-V of FIG. 3.  
  Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings. a structural steel framework is formed from vertical columns 1 arranged in two rows. with the rows spaced apart a considerable distance. Near the top of each column a bracket 2 is rigidly mounted on its inner side. Seated on these brackets at each side of the framework is a horizontal ladle-supporting member 3, preferably in the form of a box beam. That is. the beam is formed from upper and lower plates 4 and vertical side plates 5 con nected inside the beam by vertical cross plates 6 (FIG. 3). At a lower level. the columns at each side of the framework support a horizontal girder 7 that in turn supports a rail 8 along which a car 9 can be moved in any suitable manner. Suspended from this car is a tundish 10. The car permits the bottom outlet of the tundish to be centered over the top of a continuous casting mold ll.  
  In order to pour metal into the tundish. the outlet or nozzle of a ladle 13 full of molten metal is suspended above the tundish at a pouring station. as shown in FIG. 2. The ladle trunnions 14 are seated in hooks 15. the upper ends of which are pivotally connected to the cross beam 16. Extending upwardly from the top of the beam is a plate 16 provided with a vertical slot 18 for receiving the hook 19 of an overhead crane so that the ladle carrier formed by the plate and cross beam and hooks can be carried. The opposite ends of the cross beam rest on the two box beams 3 while the ladle is pouring.  
  It is a feature of this invention that before the ladle I3 just mentioned is emptied, a second ladle 21 full of molten metal is moved into a stand-by position beside the first ladle. The ladle carrier for the second ladle is like the one first described and includes a cross beam 22. hooks 23 suspended from it to support ladle 21. and a plate 24 on top adapted to receive a crane hook for lifting the carrier. The opposite ends of cross beam 22 likewise extend across the two box beams. but unlike the first cross beam they do not rest directly on those beams. Instead. they are supported by two carriages 26. one mounted on each box beam. When the first ladle 13 has been emptied and carried away by the crane. the two carriages ae moved forward together to the dotted line position shown in FIG. 2 to shift the second ladle from its stand-by position into pouring position so that a very short time elapses between cessation of pouring from the first ladle and the start of pouring from the second ladle.  
  Each of the carriages preferably is formed from a long solid metal body 27 that extends down into the underlying box beam through a longitudinal slot 28 in the top of that beam as shown in FIGS. 3, 4. and 5. The cross plates 6 of the beam are provided with downwardly extending notches 29 for accommodating the carriage. Wheels 30 at opposite sides of the carriage body run on top of the beam and support the carriage. Each wheel can be rotatably mounted on the outer end of a stub shaft 31 extending through the carriage body and rigidly mounted in it. suchas by a nut 32 screwed onto the threaded inner end of the stub shaft. To prevent the opposite sides of the carriage from scraping along the sides of the beam slot. the sides of the carriage body can be provided with recesses 33. in which horizontal rollers 34 are mounted that engage the side walls of the beam slot. The front end of the carriage body has a downward extension. to which a clevis 35 is attached by a pin 36. The clevis is secured to the outer end of a piston rod 37 extending back into a long fluid pressure cylinder 38. the rear end of which is connected by a pin 39 between vertical plates 40 inside the box beam. When fluid pressure is delivered to the rear ends of the two cylinders. the pistons on the inner ends of the piston rods will move the carriages forward to the pouring position. When the rear ends of the cylinders are connected with exhaust and fluid is delivered under pressure to their front ends. the carriages will be retracted to the ladle stand-by position.  
  The top of each carriage body is provided with a downwardly extending notch 42, in which the adjoining end of the ladle carrier cross beam 22 rests. The bottoms of these notches are only a slight distance above the tops of the box beams; for example; about an inch. Consequently. when the carriages are in the pouring position the outlet of the nozzle of the ladle supported by them will be only slightly higher than the position occupied by the outlet of the nozzle of the first ladle while it was pouring.  
  Another feature of this invention is that the carriages 26 extend only a few inches above the box beams so that the ladle carrier needs to be raised only a few inches in order to remove it from the carriages. Likewise. the cross beam 22 needs to be lifted only a short distance above the box beams in order to move it into a position above the carriage where it can be lowered into their notches. This means that ladles can be moved into and out of pouring position in spite of very limited head room above the framework.  
  As explained above. after the first ladle 13 has been emptied and carried away the two cylinders 38 are energized to move carriages 26 forward in order to carry the second ladle into the pouring position. If a casting operation does not require metal from more than two ladles. the carriages can remain in the pouring position during pouring from ladle 21. On the other hand. if a third ladle is to be used. which. if course. may be the first ladle refilled with molten metal while ladle 2] is pouring. the crane lifts the second ladle at the pouring station high enough to permit the carriages to be moved out from under cross beam 22 and retracted to their original position shown in FIG. 2. The cross beam then can be set down on the box beams as pouring continues. while another ladle carrier with its ladle can be carried into position by a crane and lowered into the notches in the two carriages ready to replace the other ladle as soon as it is empty.  
  It will be seen that with this apparatus the ladles and ladle carriers need not be lifted from the pouring position more than a few inches in order to be replaced. They also can be mounted in the carriages or removed from them with only slight vertical movements. The result is that this apparatus is especially suitable where there is restricted head room. The carriages are of simple and relatively inexpensive construction and are moved back and forth in a simple manner. The tops of the ladles never need to be lifted above the top of the framework. The crane can carry the ladles into and out of the open ends of the framework.  
  Although the parallel members on which cross beam 16 rests have been described herein as box beams 3 on which the carriages travel. each of those members could consist of two beams disposed side by side. in which case the carriages would run on one pair of beams and the cross beam 16 would rest on the other pair of beams.  
  ln some situations where space permits. it may be desirable to not rest the ends of cross beam 16 of the first ladle carrier directly on beams 3, but instead support the cross beam on a second pair of carriages like carriages 26. By connecting the two pairs of carriages together. those at the pouring station will be moved forward away from that station when ladle 13 is emptied and ladle 21 is moved into its place. This will result in an extremely short lapse of time in changing ladles.  
  According to the provisions of the patent statutes. we have explained the principle of our invention and have illustrated and described what we now consider to represent its best embodiment. However. we desire to have it understood that. within the scope of the appended claims. the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.  
 We claim:  
  1. Continuous casting apparatus comprising a framework having a pair of spaced parallel horizontal ladelsupporting members along its top. a first ladle carrier provided with a cross beam spanning the space be tween said parallel members with its ends above them for suspending a ladle of molten metal below the cross beam at a pouring station. a pair of laterally spaced carriages mounted on said parallel members at a ladle stand-by station spaced from said pouring station. a second ladle carrier like said first ladle carrier with the ends of its cross beam supported on said carriages for I suspending a second ladle of molten metal below that cross beam. and means for moving said carriages to shift the second ladle carrier to said pouring station after the first ladle carrier has been moved away from that station.  
  2. Continuous casting apparatus according to claim 1. in which said carriage-moving means include fluid pressure cylinders operatively connected to said framework and carriages.  
  3. Continuous casting apparatus according to claim 1. in which the ends of the cross beam of said first ladle carrier rest on said parallel members.  
  4. Continuous casting apparatus according to claim 1, in which said carriages are provided with downwardly extending notches receiving the opposite ends of the cross beam of said second ladle carrier.  
  5. Continuous casting apparatus according to claim 1. in which each of said parallel members includes a box beam provided in its top with a longitudinal slot. one of said carriages extends down into each slot and is provided with wheels running on top of the beam beside the slots. and said carriage-moving means are connected to the carriages inside the box beams below the slots.  
  6. Continuous casting apparatus according to claim 5. in which said carriage-moving means include fluid pressure cylinders inside said box beams and operatively connected to those beams and the carriages.  
  7. Continuous casting apparatus according to claim 5. in which the cross beam of said first ladle carrier rests on said parallel members. said apparatus including means for lifting the cross beam of said second ladle carrier far enough to permit the carriages to be retracted from beneath it and returned to said stand-by station for receiving another like ladle carrier. said lifting means being adapted to lower said second ladle carrier onto said parallel members at said pouring station after said carraige retraction.  
  8. Continuous casting apparatus according to claim 1. in which each of said carriages has a long solid metal body and wheels at opposite sides thereof running on one of said parallel members and supporting said body. the top of said body being provided with a downwardly extending notch receiving one end of the cross beam of said second ladle carrier.  
  9. Continuous casting apparatus according to claim 8, in which each of said parallel members is box beam provided in its top with a longitudinal slot receiving the lower portion of a carriage body. and said carriage moving means include fluid pressure cylinders inside the box beams and operatively connected to those beams and the carriage bodies.  
  10. Continuous casting apparatus according to claim 1. including a second pair of laterally spaced carriages mounted on said parallel members at said pouring station and supporting the cross beam of said first ladle carrier.