Sliding closure at the spout of a container containing a molten metal, and method for setting closure plates in the sliding closure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9757798-B2
Application number	US-201314432070-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 9, 2013
Priority date	Oct 11, 2012
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

Slide closure for a vessel containing molten metal includes a slide housing and a slide unit that can be displaced longitudinally towards the slide housing, at least one refractory closure plate can respectively be inserted into the slide housing. The closure plates can be pressed against one another by the slide unit being braced against the slide housing. The closure plates can respectively be fixed or centered therein by a placement device having a displaceable positioning element. These placement devices are respectively designed such that upon bracing the slide unit against the slide housing, placing of the positioning element and clamping or centering of the respective closure plate is brought about therein. Therefore, despite easier operation, increased operating reliability is guaranteed because the closure plates are clamped and centered mechanically.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A slide closure for a vessel that operatively contains molten metal, comprising:
a slide housing including an opening receivable of a first refractory closure plate;
a slide unit including an opening receivable of a second refractory closure plate and which is displaceable relative to said slide housing, the first refractory closure plate when present in the opening in said slide housing and the second refractory closure plate when present in the opening in said slide unit being pressed against one another when said slide unit is braced against said slide housing; and
at least one placement device that fixes or centers a respective one of the first and second refractory closure plates when present in the opening in said slide housing or said slide unit,
each of said at least one placement device comprising a displaceable positioning element that is displaced, as a result of bracing of said slide unit against said slide housing, toward the respective one of the first and second refractory closure plates when present in the opening in said slide housing or said slide unit to press the respective one of the first and second refractory closure plates when present in the opening in said slide housing or said slide unit against said slide housing or said slide unit and thereby clamp or center the respective one of the first and second refractory closure plates when present in the opening in said slide housing or said slide unit.

2. The slide closure according to claim 1 , wherein said positioning element is configured to extend at least partly into the opening in said slide housing or said slide unit as a result of bracing of said slide unit against said slide housing and thereby engage with the respective one of the first and second refractory closure plates when present in the opening in said slide housing or said slide unit.

3. The slide closure according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one placement device comprises a first placement device that fixes or centers the first refractory closure plate when present in the opening in said slide housing, and a second placement device that fixes or centers the second refractory closure plate when present in the opening in said slide unit.

4. The slide closure according to claim 3 , wherein said first placement device comprises a housing arranged in said slide housing in which said positioning element is displaceable and which defines a groove, a carrier element guided in said groove within said housing, a locking member guided in a part of said groove within said housing and guide tracks arranged in said slide unit and configured to guide said carrier element or said locking member as a result of the bracing of said slide unit against said slide housing.

5. The slide closure according to claim 3 , wherein said first placement device comprises a housing arranged in said slide unit in which said positioning element is displaceable and which defines a groove, a carrier element guided in said groove within said housing, a locking member guided in a part of said groove within said housing and guide tracks arranged in said slide housing and configured to guide said carrier element or said locking member as a result of the bracing of said slide unit against said slide housing.

6. The slide closure according to claim 1 , wherein each of said at least one placement device further comprises a housing in which said positioning element is displaceable and which defines a groove, a carrier element guided in said groove within said housing, a locking member guided in a part of said groove within said housing and guide tracks configured to guide said carrier element or said locking member as a result of the bracing of said slide unit against said slide housing.

7. The slide closure according to claim 6 , wherein said groove includes an oblique part in which said locking member is guided and said positioning element is moved at least partly within said housing.

8. The slide closure according to claim 6 , wherein each of said at least one placement device further comprises a clamping component having a bracing position in which said at least one placement device fixes or centers the respective one of the first and second refractory closure plates when present in the opening in said slide housing or said slide unit, and a placement position in which the respective one of the first and second refractory closure plates is movable into or out of the opening in said slide housing or said slide unit.

9. The slide closure according to claim 8 , wherein said clamping component comprises a compression spring.

10. The slide closure according to claim 9 , wherein said compression spring rests against said housing at one end and against said locking member at an opposite end.

11. The slide closure according to claim 6 , wherein said at least one placement device fixes or centers the first refractory closure plate when present in the opening in said slide housing, said housing of said at least one placement device being arranged in said slide housing, said guide tracks of said at least one placement device being formed on said slide unit.

12. The slide closure according to claim 6 , wherein said at least one placement device fixes or centers the second refractory closure plate when present in the opening in said slide unit, said housing of said at least one placement device being arranged in said slide unit, said guide tracks of said at least one placement device being formed on said slide housing.

13. The slide closure according to claim 6 , wherein said guide tracks are formed on projecting cams.

14. The slide closure according to claim 13 , wherein said projecting cams selectively engage with said carrier element upon displacement of said slide unit within said slide housing to cause displacement of said positioning element in a first direction to press against the respective one of the first and second refractory closure plates when present in the opening in said slide housing or said slide unit and to cause displacement of said positioning element in a second direction to release pressure by said positioning element against the respective one of the first and second refractory closure plates when present in the opening in said slide housing or said slide unit.

15. The slide closure according to claim 13 , wherein said slide unit includes a respective guide track and associated ramp on both sides of said opening and said slide housing includes guide rollers configured to slide on said guide tracks when said slide unit is braced against said slide housing, and
wherein said housing and said projecting cams are positioned in relation to said guide tracks, and said associated ramps of said slide unit and said guide rollers are positioned within said slide unit or said slide housing in a direction of displacement of said slide unit such that said guide rollers first slide over said associated ramps and only thereafter said projecting cams engage with said carrier elements.

16. The slide closure according to claim 1 , wherein said slide housing includes a recess, said at least one placement device fitting into said recess.

17. The slide closure according to claim 16 , wherein each of said at least one placement device further comprises a longitudinal part connected to said positioning element that fixes said housing in said recess, said longitudinal part including a cam that limits axial displacement of said positioning element.

18. The slide closure according to claim 1 , wherein said slide unit includes a recess, said at least one

Assignees

• Refrectory Intellectual Property Gmbh & Co Kg
• Refractory Intellectual Property Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Gisler Rebecca
• Cousin Jean-Daniel
• Steiner Benno

Classifications

• B22D11/10

  Supplying or treating molten metal (B22D41/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B22D41/24 Primary

  characterised by a rectilinearly movable plate (B22D41/38 - B22D41/42 take precedence) · CPC title

• B22D41/40

  Means for pressing the plates together · CPC title

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title

• B22D41/38

  Means for operating the sliding gate · CPC title