Sliding gate for a vessel containing molten metal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11192180-B2
Application number	US-201816616799-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 1, 2018
Priority date	Jul 5, 2017
Publication date	Dec 7, 2021
Grant date	Dec 7, 2021

Abstract

Sliding gate for a vessel containing molten metal includes a slide housing, a slide unit guided longitudinally in the slide housing and having a push rod, a mounting and a linear drive removably fastened in the latter and has a drive rod. This drive rod can be connected to the push rod by a coupling. The coupling is designed such that, when the linear drive has been pushed into the mounting, it automatically couples by movement of the drive rod towards the slide unit, while it uncouples when the linear drive is removed from the mounting transversely in relation to the direction of movement of the drive rod. A locking device is actuated by the linear drive and interacts with the mounting, by means of which the linear drive after being pushed into the mounting is fixed in the latter and can be unlocked again before it is removed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A slide closure, comprising:
a slide housing attachable to a vessel adapted to contain molten metal;
a push rod of a slide unit guided in a longitudinal direction in said slide housing;
a holder coupled to said slide housing and including a recess having an opening on a lateral side;
a linear actuator comprising a movable drive rod and a first piston, said linear actuator being insertable into and removable from said holder transversely relative to the longitudinal direction through the opening of said recess and being actuatable, when in said holder, to vary a distance between said drive rod and said push rod;
a coupling assembly for coupling said drive rod to said push rod when said linear actuator is in said holder; and
a locking device comprising a locking head coupled to said first piston, said locking head being insertable into engagement with and removable from engagement with said recess upon movement of said first piston.

2. The slide closure of claim 1 , wherein said recess has a shape corresponding to said locking head such that said locking head penetrates into said recess upon movement of said first piston in a direction toward said recess.

3. The slide closure of claim 1 , wherein said linear actuator further comprises a flange that engages with said holder when said linear actuator is in said holder.

4. The slide closure of claim 1 , wherein said linear actuator further comprises a hydraulic cylinder, and a second, main piston that drives said drive rod through an interior of said hydraulic cylinder, said first piston being movable independent of said second, main piston and actuating said locking device by displacing said locking head.

5. The slide closure of claim 4 , wherein said locking head is configured to be withdrawn when said first piston is loaded in a locking direction at a front from an inside of said hydraulic cylinder and said hydraulic cylinder is removable from said recess when said first piston is loaded in an unlocking direction.

6. The slide closure of claim 4 , wherein said hydraulic cylinder has an interior having first, second and third chambers, said first chamber being between said second, main piston and a first axial end of said hydraulic cylinder, said second chamber being between said second, main piston and said first piston, and said first piston being situated in said third chamber, said second chamber being between said first and third chambers, said first, second and third chambers being loadable independent of one another, said drive rod passing through said second and third chambers and a second axial end of said hydraulic cylinder opposite said first axial end of said hydraulic cylinder.

7. The slide closure of claim 6 , wherein said hydraulic cylinder is unlocked when said second chamber is loaded.

8. The slide closure of claim 6 , wherein said drive rod is coupleable, when said first chamber is loaded, to said push rod.

9. The slide closure of claim 6 , wherein said drive rod is displaceable when said second or third chamber is loaded.

10. The slide closure of claim 6 , wherein said hydraulic cylinder is unlockable when said third chamber is loaded.

11. The slide closure of claim 6 , wherein said hydraulic cylinder further comprises a separating wall between said second and third chambers such that said separating wall is between said first piston and said second, main piston, said separating wall being a stop for movement of said first piston in a direction away from said second axial end of said hydraulic cylinder, said separating wall having an opening through which said drive rod passes, said opening being dimensioned relative to said drive rod to allow passage of a medium from said second chamber into a space between said separating wall and said first piston.

12. The slide closure of claim 1 , wherein said locking head is guided on said drive rod.

13. The slide closure of claim 1 , wherein said coupling assembly, when said linear actuator is in said holder, couples said drive rod to said push rod by displacing said drive rod toward said slide unit.

14. The slide closure of claim 1 , wherein said coupling assembly comprises a first coupling part on said push rod and a second coupling part on said drive rod which couple when said second coupling part on said drive rod engages with said first coupling part on said push rod.

15. The slide closure of claim 1 , wherein said locking head is insertable in a positive-locking or friction-locking manner into said recess.

16. The slide closure of claim 1 , wherein said coupling assembly is situated in said holder.

17. The slide closure of claim 1 , wherein locking of said hydraulic cylinder, coupling of said drive rod to said push rod and actuating of said slide unit are controlled by a control unit.

18. The slide closure of claim 1 , wherein said linear actuator is removably fixed in said holder.

19. The slide closure of claim 1 , wherein said linear actuator is removable from engagement with said holder after independent decoupling of said drive rod from said push rod.

20. An apparatus connected to a slide housing attachable to a vessel adapted to contain molten metal, the slide housing including a slide unit having a push rod guided in a longitudinal direction in the slide housing, the apparatus comprising:
a holder coupled to the slide housing and including a recess having an opening on a lateral side;
a linear actuator comprising a movable drive rod and a first piston, said linear actuator being insertable into and removable from said holder transversely relative to the longitudinal direction through the opening of said recess and being actuatable, when in said holder, to move said drive rod outward from said linear actuator;
a coupling assembly that enables said drive rod to couple to the push rod when said linear actuator is in said holder and said drive rod is moved outward from said linear actuator through said holder; and
a locking device comprising a locking head coupled to said first piston, said locking head being insertable into engagement with and removable from engagement with said recess upon movement of said first piston.

Assignees

• Refractory Intellectual Property Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Schacher Damian

Classifications

• B22D41/38 Primary

  Means for operating the sliding gate · CPC title

• B22D41/22 Primary

  sliding-gate type, i.e. having a fixed plate and a movable plate in sliding contact with each other for selective registry of their openings · CPC title

• F15B11/08

  with only one servomotor · CPC title

• F15B13/04

  for use with a single servomotor · CPC title