Apparatus to replace a guide unit in a continuous casting machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10882102-B2
Application number	US-201816496161-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2018
Priority date	Mar 24, 2017
Publication date	Jan 5, 2021
Grant date	Jan 5, 2021

Abstract

Apparatus to replace a guide unit in a continuous casting machine. A platform is positioned, during use, at the side of a casting line, and is provided with at least a first positioning zone of at least a first guide unit and at least a second positioning zone of at least a second guide unit. The platform is associated with a rotation device to take, on each occasion, the first positioning zone or the second positioning zone facing the side of the casting line. A movement device moves the second guide unit from a positioning zone outside the platform and, during use, in line with the casting line, to the second positioning zone of the platform and to move the first guide unit from the first positioning zone of the platform to the positioning zone outside the platform and, during use, in line with the casting line.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Apparatus to replace a guide unit in a continuous casting machine ( 15 ) provided with at least one casting line (L 1 -L 4 ), wherein it comprises at least a platform ( 24 ) positioned, during use, at a side of said at least one casting line (L 1 -L 4 ), and provided with at least a first positioning zone ( 29 ) of at least a first guide unit ( 11 ′- 14 ′) and at least a second positioning zone ( 30 ) of at least a second guide unit ( 11 - 14 ), said at least a platform ( 24 ) being associated with rotation means ( 25 , 26 ) to take, on each occasion, said at least a first positioning zone ( 29 ) or said at least a second positioning zone ( 30 ) facing the side of said at least one casting line (L 1 -L 4 ), the apparatus also comprising at least a first linear actuator ( 33 ) associated with said at least a first guide unit ( 11 ′- 14 ′) and at least a second linear actuator ( 32 ) associated with said at least a second guide unit ( 11 - 14 ), said linear actuators ( 33 , 32 ) being housed on board and inside the at least a platform ( 24 ), and said at least a platform ( 24 ) comprising at least a first slit ( 38 ) able to at least partly house a mobile shaft ( 35 ) of said at least a first linear actuator ( 33 ) and at least a second slit ( 37 ) able to at least partly house a mobile shaft ( 34 ) of said at least a second linear actuator ( 32 ), said at least a second linear actuator ( 32 ) being configured to move said at least a second guide unit ( 11 - 14 ) from a positioning zone ( 40 ) outside said at least a platform ( 24 ) and, during use, in line with said at least one casting line (L 1 -L 4 ), to said at least a second positioning zone ( 30 ) of the at least a platform ( 24 ), and said at least a first linear actuator ( 33 ) being configured to move said at least a first guide unit ( 11 ′- 14 ′) from said at least a first positioning zone ( 29 ) of the at least a platform ( 24 ) to said positioning zone ( 40 ) outside said at least a platform ( 24 ) and, during use, in line with said at least one casting line (L 1 -L 4 ), or vice versa.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein said at least first and second slits ( 38 , 37 ) are directed in a transverse direction with respect to a direction of the at least one casting line (L 1 -L 4 ).

3. Apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein said at least a first slit ( 38 ) is made on said at least a first positioning zone ( 29 ) and said at least a second slit ( 37 ) is made on said at least a second positioning zone ( 30 ).

4. Apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein said at least first and said second slits ( 38 , 37 ) are disposed at 180° one with respect to the other on said at least a platform ( 24 ).

5. Apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein said at least first and second slits ( 38 , 37 ) are able to be aligned, during use, with at least one slit ( 39 ) made in the at least one casting line (L 1 -L 4 ).

6. Apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein said at least first and second guide units ( 11 ′- 14 ′, 11 - 14 ) are positioned on corresponding support benches ( 19 a ′, 19 b ′, 19 a , 19 b ) able to selectively occupy said at least a first positioning zone ( 29 ) or said at least a second positioning zone ( 30 ) of the at least a platform ( 24 ) and, during use, said positioning zone ( 40 ) of said at least one casting line (L 1 -L 4 ).

7. Apparatus as in claim 6 , wherein the shaft ( 34 , 35 ) of each linear actuator ( 33 , 32 ) is associated with a corresponding support bench ( 19 a ′, 19 b ′, 19 a , 19 b ) by means of connection means ( 36 ).

8. Apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein said at least a platform ( 24 ) comprises sliding guides ( 31 ) of said at least first and second guide units ( 11 ′- 14 ′, 11 - 14 ) directed in a direction substantially transverse with respect to a direction of the at least one casting line (L 1 -L 4 ).

9. Apparatus as in claim 8 , wherein said sliding guides ( 31 ) are able to align with sliding guides ( 22 ) made in the at least one casting line (L 1 -L 4 ).

10. Method to replace a guide unit in a continuous casting machine ( 15 ), provided with at least one casting line (L 1 -L 4 ) having guide units ( 11 - 14 ) located one after the other, wherein it provides to:
position adjacent to the at least one casting line (L 1 -L 4 ) at least one rotatable platform ( 24 ) on which at least a first guide unit ( 11 ′- 14 ′) is housed in a first positioning zone ( 29 ), said at least one platform ( 24 ) having a second positioning zone ( 30 ) free and facing directly onto a zone ( 40 ) of said at least one casting line (L 1 -L 4 ) where at least a second guide unit ( 11 - 14 ) is positioned, said at least a first guide unit ( 11 ′- 14 ′) being associated with at least a first linear actuator ( 33 ) housed on board and inside the at least one platform ( 24 ) and said at least a second guide unit ( 11 - 14 ) being associated with at least a second linear actuator ( 32 ) housed on board and inside the at least one platform ( 24 ), said at least one platform ( 24 ) comprising at least a first slit ( 38 ) able to at least partly house a mobile shaft ( 35 ) of said at least a first linear actuator ( 33 ) and at least a second slit ( 37 ) able to at least partly house a mobile shaft ( 34 ) of said at least a second linear actuator ( 32 );
extract said at least a second guide unit ( 11 - 14 ) from said zone ( 40 ) of said at least one casting line (L 1 -L 4 ) by means of said at least a second linear actuator ( 32 ) and take it into said second positioning zone ( 30 ) provided on said at least one platform ( 24 ), thus leaving free said zone ( 40 ) of said at least one casting line (L 1 -L 4 );
rotate said at least one platform ( 24 ) so as to take said at least a first guide unit ( 11 ′- 14 ′) in proximity to said zone ( 40 ) of said at least one casting line (L 1 -L 4 );
insert said at least a first guide unit ( 11 ′- 14 ′), by means of said at least a first linear actuator ( 33 ), on said zone ( 40 ) of said at least one casting line (L 1 -L 4 ).

11. Continuous casting machine, wherein it comprises at least a replacement apparatus ( 10 a , 10 b ) to replace at least a second guide unit ( 11 - 14 ) in line with at least a first guide unit ( 11 ′- 14 ′) offline comprising:
at least a platform ( 24 ) positioned, during use, at a side of said at least one casting line (L 1 -L 4 ), and provided with at least a first positioning zone ( 29 ) of the at least a first guide unit ( 11 ′- 14 ′) and at least a second positioning zone ( 30 ) of the at least a second guide unit ( 11 - 14 ), said at least a platform ( 24 ) being associated with rotation means ( 25 , 26 ) to take, on each occasion, said at least a first positioning zone ( 29 ) or said at least a second positioning zone ( 30 ) facing the side of said at least one casting line (L 1 -L 4 ), the apparatus also comprising at least a first linear actuator ( 33 ) associated with said at least a first guide unit ( 11 ′- 14 ′) and at least a second linear actuator ( 32 ) associated with said at least a second guide unit ( 11 - 14 ), said linear actuators ( 33 , 32 ) being housed on board and inside the at least a platform ( 24 ), and said at least a platform ( 24 ) comprising at least a first slit ( 38 ) able to at least partly house a mobile shaft ( 35 ) of said at least a first linear actuator ( 33 ) and at least a second slit ( 37 ) able to at least partly house a mobile shaft ( 34 ) of said at least a second linear actuator ( 32 ), said at least a second linear actuator ( 32 ) being configured to move said at least a second guide unit ( 11 - 14 ) from a positioning zone ( 40 ) outside said at least a platform ( 24 ) and, during use, in line with said at least one cas

Assignees

• Danieli Off Mecc

Inventors

• Comand Daniele
• Meret Michele

Classifications

• B22D11/1285 Primary

  Segment changing devices for supporting or guiding frames · CPC title

• B22D11/1282

  Vertical casting and curving the cast stock to the horizontal · CPC title

• B22D11/128

  for removing · CPC title