Melting furnace electrode handling devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11523477-B2
Application number	US-201917273171-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 27, 2019
Priority date	Sep 6, 2018
Publication date	Dec 6, 2022
Grant date	Dec 6, 2022

Abstract

Apparatuses for interfacing with an electrode provided with a melting furnace including a vessel and an electrode. In some embodiments, a support assembly ( 50 ) supports the electrode outside of the vessel, and includes a cart ( 102 ) or similar apparatus that permits or facilitates selective vertical movement of the electrode and selective transverse movement of the electrode. In some embodiments, a push assembly ( 52 ) interfaces with a rear face of the electrode outside of the vessel, and is operable to apply a pushing force onto the rear face. The push assembly can include one or more tracks (e.g., threaded screw) that supports a body between opposing arms of a fixed frame. The body can translate along the tracks to apply a pushing force onto the electrode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for melting batch materials, the system comprising:
a vessel comprising at least one side wall and defining a melting chamber;
an electrode disposed within the side wall and comprising a front face facing the melting chamber, a rear face opposite the front face, and a length defined in a transverse direction from the rear face to the front face; and
a push assembly comprising:
a fixed frame fixed relative to the vessel,
a body provided with a contact face contacting the rear face, and
a first track comprising a threaded screw extending through a passage of the body with external threads of the threaded screw threadably interfacing with the passage of the body, and the first track rotatably connected to the fixed frame, wherein a rotation of the first track relative to the fixed frame is configured to translate the body relative to the fixed frame and the threaded screw to apply a pushing force against the rear face of the electrode with the contact face in the transverse direction without substantial transverse movement of the first track relative to the fixed frame in the transverse direction.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fixed frame comprises a side framework comprising a leading arm proximate the vessel and a trailing arm opposite the leading arm, and further wherein the first track extends between and is rotatably connected to the leading arm and the trailing arm.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the body is disposed between the leading arm and the trailing arm.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a second track connected to the fixed frame and the body, and wherein:
the electrode comprises a first side opposite a second side and a width defined between the first and second sides;
the first track is located adjacent to and spaced from the first side;
the second track is located adjacent to and spaced from the second side; and
a distance between the first and second tracks is greater than the width.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a contact mechanism comprising the contact face contacting the rear face.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the contact mechanism comprises a pressure bolt adjustably connected to the body, and the pressure bolt comprises the contact face.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electrode is arranged in an array of electrodes comprising an electrode bank, and further wherein the push assembly is operable to move the electrode bank relative to the side wall in the transverse direction.

8. A system for melting batch materials, the system comprising:
a vessel comprising at least one side wall and defining a melting chamber;
an electrode disposed within the side wall, the electrode comprising a front face facing the melting chamber, a rear face opposite the front face, a length defined in a transverse direction from the rear face to the front face, a first side opposite a second side, a width defined in a lateral direction from the first side to the second side, a bottom face opposite a top face, a height defined in a vertical direction from the bottom face to the top face, wherein the vertical direction is perpendicular to the transverse direction, the vertical direction is perpendicular to the lateral direction, and the lateral direction perpendicular to the transverse direction; and
a support assembly comprising:
a first support unit comprising a top support block and a bottom plate, wherein the bottom face of the electrode is supported by a bearing surface of the top support block, and the first support unit is configured to permit selective lateral movement of the top support block relative to the bottom plate in the lateral direction to alter a lateral position of the electrode relative to the side wall,
a second support unit comprising an upper body and a lower body, wherein the first support unit is supported by the upper body, wherein the second support unit is configured to permit selective vertical movement of the upper body relative to the lower body in the vertical direction to alter a vertical position of a portion of the electrode relative to the side wall.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the first support unit comprises a plurality of wheels interposed between the top support block and the bottom plate.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first support unit comprises a locking device for selectively locking the top support block from relative lateral movement with respect to the bottom plate in the lateral direction to fix a selected lateral position of the electrode relative to the side wall.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of wheels are rotatably mounted relative to the top support block to permit the selective lateral movement of the top support block relative to the bottom plate in the lateral direction, and a rolling surface of each wheel of the plurality of wheels engaging an upper guide surface of the bottom plate, wherein the plurality of wheels support the weight of the top support block and the electrode on the upper guide surface of the bottom plate.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein each wheel of the plurality of wheels includes a guide flange that projects radially relative to the rolling surface to define an outer diameter that is greater than a diameter of the rolling surface, wherein each guide flange is configured to engage a corresponding side edge of the bottom plate to inhibit a transverse movement of the top support block relative to the bottom plate in the transverse direction.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the second support unit comprises a wedge body disposed between the upper body and the lower body.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the second support unit comprises an actuator mechanism for altering a position of the wedge body relative to the upper body and the lower body to permit selective vertical movement of the upper body relative to the lower body in the vertical direction to alter the vertical position of the portion of the electrode relative to the side wall.

15. The system of claim 8 , wherein the second support unit comprises base and a plurality of wheels rotatably connected to the base, the base supporting the lower body.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the support assembly comprises a track aligned with the electrode, wherein a rolling surface of each wheel of the plurality of wheels engages an upper surface of the track to permit a transverse movement support assembly relative to the track in the transverse direction to alter a transverse position of the electrode relative to the side wall.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein each wheel of the plurality of wheels includes a guide flange that projects radially relative to the rolling surface to define an outer diameter that is greater than a diameter of the rolling surface, wherein each guide flange is configured to engage the track to inhibit a lateral movement of the second support unit in the lateral direction.

18. The system of claim 8 , wherein the electrode is arranged in an array of electrodes comprising an electrode bank, and further wherein the support assembly is operable to move the electrode bank relative to the side wall.

Assignees

• Corning Inc

Inventors

• Cook Mark Alan
• Fraley Raymond Eugene
• Palmer Brian Michael
• Riegel Kevin Scott
• Zimmerman Tytus Lee

Classifications

• F27B3/085

  Arc furnaces · CPC title

• C03B5/185

  Electric means · CPC title

• F27D11/10

  Disposition of electrodes · CPC title

• H05B7/101

  Mountings, supports or terminals at head of electrode, i.e. at the end remote from the arc · CPC title

• F27D99/0006

  Electric heating elements or system · CPC title