Method for maintaining a sliding closure on the spout of a metallurgical vessel, and a sliding closure.

Abstract

In one process, a robot automatically determines the exact position of a metallurgical vessel and a sliding closure (10) at the maintenance station for automated maintenance. The robot then mounts an actuator on the sliding closure (10). The actuator then releases the tension on the sliding closure, allowing the robot to insert or remove at least one fire-resistant sealing plate (19, 21) into a sliding unit (20) and into a housing (11) of the sliding closure (10). The automated maintenance process can be switched between this robot-assisted and manual maintenance of the sliding closure (10) at the maintenance station, and vice versa. During automated maintenance, the sealing plates (19, 21) are inserted into and removed from the housing (11) and the sliding unit (20) together with a cassette (15, 25). In contrast, during manual maintenance, these cassettes (15, 25) are located in the housing (11) and the sliding unit (20), respectively.The locking plates (19, 21) are fixed in the sliding unit (20) and are manually inserted directly into these cassettes remaining in the sliding lock (10) and centered, fastened, or released. This allows for a very simple switch between automated and manual maintenance, depending on the conditions at the maintenance station.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for maintaining a sliding closure on the spout of a metallurgical vessel and to a sliding closure according to the preamble of claim 1 or 6.

[0002] In a known method according to EP-2 056 983, a method or system for a sliding closure mounted on the spout of a container for molten metal is disclosed. This system is provided with at least one tool magazine, at least one spare parts magazine, and means for opening and closing the sliding closure. A robot equipped with an automatic gripper exchange system and connected to a control system is present, which is first able to automatically detect the exact position of the container or the sliding closure. It can then actuate the means for opening and closing the sliding closure and, depending on the condition of the individual components that may need replacing, pick up tools or spare parts from the magazines surrounding it and perform cleaning, component removal, and their replacement or reinstallation.

[0003] Starting from this, the present invention is based on the objective of further developing a method for maintenance operation of the type mentioned at the outset in such a way that it is optimally adapted to the harsh operating conditions in the steelworks and in particular at the ladle station.

[0004] This problem is solved according to the invention by a method according to the features of claim 1 or by a sliding closure according to the features of claim 6.

[0005] In the inventive method for maintaining a sliding closure on the spout of a metallurgical vessel, it is possible to switch from this robot-automated maintenance to manual maintenance of the sliding closure and vice versa, whereby the automated and manual maintenance operations involve some different work steps.

[0006] This makes it possible to switch from automated to manual maintenance in a very simple way, depending on the conditions at the maintenance site, and the work for changing plates or for monitoring can be carried out efficiently and flawlessly in both maintenance modes.

[0007] In automated maintenance, the closure plates are very advantageously inserted into and removed from the housing and the slide unit together with a cassette, whereas in manual maintenance operation these cassettes are fixed in the housing or preferably also in the slide unit and the closure plates are manually inserted directly into these cassettes and centered or fastened or released therein.

[0008] In the sliding closure according to the invention, a cassette for receiving a closure plate is included in the housing and / or in the sliding unit, which can be fixed or released therein by means of self-locking or releasable connecting means.

[0009] Advantageously, for these connecting means, at least one retaining element is provided on one end of the removable cassettes and at least one toggle lever mechanism on the opposite end, while corresponding recesses and snap elements are provided on the housing and the sliding unit. With this design of the cassettes, they can be inserted or removed directly during automated maintenance without additional functions.

[0010] The invention and further advantages thereof are explained in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments and the drawing. It shows: <tb>Fig. 1 <sep>a perspective view of a sliding closure according to the invention in the open state; <tb>Fig. 2 <sep>a longitudinal section of the housing and cassette of the sliding lock according to Fig. 1 when the cassette is pressed into the housing; <tb>Fig. 3 <sep>the longitudinal section according to Fig. 2 in the pressed-in fixed position of the cassette in the housing; <tb>Fig. 4 <sep>a longitudinal section of the sliding unit and the cassette of the sliding closure according to Fig. 1 when the cassette is pressed into the sliding unit; <tb>Fig. 5 <sep>an enlarged section of the toggle lever mechanism when pressing in the cassette according to Fig. 2, and <tb>Fig. 6 <sep>the enlarged section of the toggle lever mechanism after pressing in the cassette according to Fig. 3 , <tb>Fig. 7 <sep>a top view of a partially shown cassette with the clamping module for clamping a closure plate in the released state; and <tb>Fig. 8 <sep>The top view according to Fig. 7 with the clamping module in the clamped state.

[0011] The sliding closure 10 according to Fig. 1 essentially consists of a housing 11 that can be attached to a container and a sliding unit 20 pivotally connected to it by means of a hinge 14, which is shown in the open position. A fire-resistant closure plate 19, 21 is clamped in the housing 11 and in the sliding unit 20, respectively, and is pressed together when the sliding closure is closed.

[0012] Such a sliding closure 10 is manufactured in a conventional manner and is preferably suitable for a ladle containing molten steel for pouring in a continuous casting plant. However, it could also be used in other vessels, such as a converter or a distributor, or even in furnaces in the non-ferrous metal sector.

[0013] On both sides of the housing 11, a retaining element 17 with inner and outer rollers 17' is arranged perpendicularly to the closing plate 19. In the closed state, these rollers slide on ramp-shaped guide tracks (not shown) of T-slot-shaped recesses 22 in the sliding unit 20. These recesses 22 are provided with expanding openings 23 through which the rollers 17' are inserted or released. The sliding unit 20 is thus longitudinally guided on the housing 11 by a drive (not shown), typically a piston / cylinder unit attached to the housing 11. The connectable coupling parts 18, 26 of this drive are illustrated for the housing 11 and the sliding unit 20, respectively.

[0014] When the sliding unit 20 is pivoted, it is moved longitudinally relative to the housing by the drive through the guidance of the rollers 17 ́ on the ramp-shaped guide tracks in these recesses 22, thereby clamping the closing plates 15, 21 against each other and conversely relaxing them again.

[0015] For a more detailed explanation of the operation of this sliding closure 10, reference is made to EP 1 119 428, in which the details of the interaction of the retaining means with the sliding unit are explained in detail.

[0016] According to the invention, the housing 11 and the sliding unit 20 each contain a metal cassette 15, 25 for receiving the closure plates 15, 21, which can each be fixed or released therein by means of self-locking or releasable connecting means.

[0017] In the cassettes 15, 25, clamping modules 45 extending on both sides to the closure plate 19, 21 are each assigned to a clamping device 40, by which the closure plates 19, 21 can be clamped at their four outer inclined surfaces 19́, as is shown in detail below.

[0018] In addition, centering elements 13 and corresponding guide elements 12 are arranged laterally on the cassette 15 and in the housing 11, respectively. This pre-centers the cassette 15 when it is inserted into the housing 11, and the centering elements 13 fix it in the direction of movement of the slide unit 20 in order to absorb the resulting sliding forces when the plates are clamped.

[0019] According to Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, for the connecting means of the cassette 15 which can be inserted into the housing 11, cams 26 are arranged on one narrower end side as retaining elements and, on the opposite side, preferably two parallel toggle lever mechanisms 30 are arranged, while in the housing 11 corresponding recesses 27 are provided in spring retaining elements 48, 49 on the one hand and snap elements 28 on the other.

[0020] As can be seen in Fig. 2, the cassette 15 is inserted obliquely into the housing 11 until its cams 26 at one end of the cassette are inserted precisely into this recess 27 in the housing 11, and consequently the cassette is fixed without play by pressing it in through the engaging toggle lever mechanism 30 at the snap element 28 in the housing 11, as shown in Fig. 3.

[0021] According to Fig. 4, for the connecting means of the cassette 25, which can be inserted into the slide unit 20, bolts 26' are arranged as retaining elements on one narrower end side, and opposite them, two toggle lever mechanisms 30 are arranged parallel to each other, while the slide unit 20 has corresponding stops 29 as retaining elements on the one hand and snap elements 28 on the other. In addition, the cassette 25 is centered in the slide unit by means of centering elements 38 in corresponding guide elements 39 and held in the direction of movement so that the cassette does not move within it when the slide unit is moved back and forth.

[0022] The cassette 25 is inserted obliquely into the sliding unit 20 until its bolts 26 ' at one end of the sliding unit bear against these stops 29, and consequently the cassette is fixed without play in it by pressing it in through the engaging toggle lever mechanism 30 at the snap element 28.

[0023] The respective toggle lever mechanism 30 in the cassettes 15, 25 consists, as shown enlarged in Figs. 5 and 6, of a spring-loaded lever 31 articulated in the cassette 15, 25 and a snap 33 rotatably connected to it and pivotably mounted on the cassette 15, 25 by means of an axis 36. The lever 31 is adjustable in its longitudinal direction to a limited extent by means of a compression spring 34 in a sleeve 32, and thus a continuously acting torque against the snap 33 is generated, except at the dead center.

[0024] In the released state according to Fig. 5, the catch 33 with its opening 33́ is aligned against the direction in which the cassette is pressed in. As the cassette is pressed in further, this catch 33 with its opening 33́ comes into contact with the snap element 28 and is then rotated until its underside 33́ rests against the housing 11 or the sliding unit 20. The lever 31 acting on the catch 33, through the compression spring 34, exerts a torque on this catch 33 after passing the dead center, until it rests against a lower support 28́ of the snap element 28, thus ensuring that the cassette is locked.

[0025] When the cassette 15, 25 is removed, a specific pulling force is applied to it, approximately perpendicular to the housing 11 or the sliding unit 20, causing the toggle lever mechanism 30 to rotate towards the open position due to the resulting torque on the catch 33 at the support 28', as shown in Fig. 5. This allows the cassettes 15, 25 to be released automatically.

[0026] Figures 7 and 8 show, within the scope of the invention, a clamping device 40 for securing the closure plate 19 in a cassette 15, which comprises an adjusting bracket 41, clamping modules 45 extending on both sides towards the closure plate 19 with plungers 46 and wedges 47, and a toggle linkage 42. The clamping modules 45 are embedded in the cassette 15 and each has a spring element 44 connected to a respective plunger 46, causing a spring pressure in the clamping direction when clamped, as can also be seen in Figure 4. This toggle linkage 42 consists of two levers 42' which are pivotally connected to the adjusting bracket 41, the cassette 15, and to each other. One lever 42 ' has a square opening or the like into which a rotary key can be inserted and which can be turned by hand, thus enabling the clamping device to be opened or closed.

[0027] This clamping device 40 is shown in Fig. 7 in the open position, in which the wedges 47, adjustable with the plungers 46, are retracted, thus allowing the closing plate to be inserted or removed. The two levers 42 are pivoted past their dead center and, together with the spring pressure, ensure that the adjusting bracket 41 remains in the open position.

[0028] By rotating in the opposite direction, the adjusting bracket and with it the plungers 46 as well as the wedges 47 can be moved towards the locking plate and then a clamping of the plate 19 can be made possible, as shown in Fig. 8.

[0029] In the cassette 25 which can be inserted into the slide unit 20, an identical clamping device 40 for clamping the closure plate provided as a slide plate is provided as explained above for the other cassette 15.

[0030] The sliding closure 10, described in detail above, is suitable for automated maintenance by means of a robot (not shown) at a maintenance station, as is explained and illustrated in detail in the aforementioned publication EP 2 056 983. After emptying the molten metal, this vessel, designed as a ladle, is placed at the maintenance station in an almost horizontal position, so that the sliding closure mounted on its spout lies on its side and is thus easily accessible for this frequently required maintenance.

[0031] A detection system that can be mounted on the robot can determine the exact position of the vessel and the sliding closure 10 at the maintenance or pan station. After this detection, the robot mounts a drive on the sliding closure and connects it to a pressure source, which releases the sliding closure 10 and unfolds the sliding unit 20, as shown in Fig. 1. Subsequently, the robot can insert or remove a fire-resistant sealing plate 19, 21 into this sliding unit 20 or into the housing 11, respectively.

[0032] According to the invention, it is possible to switch from this automated maintenance with the robot to manual maintenance of the sliding closure 10 at the maintenance station and vice versa, whereby the automated and manual maintenance operations involve some different work steps.

[0033] During automated maintenance, the locking plates 19, 21 together with the metal cassette 15, 25 are picked up by the robot from a magazine and inserted into or removed from the housing 11 and the slide unit 20, respectively. In contrast, during manual maintenance, these cassettes 15, 25 are fixed in the housing 11 and in the slide unit 20, respectively, and the locking plates 19, 21 are manually inserted directly into these cassettes 15, 25 and centered or fastened or released therein.

[0034] Advantageously, the mounting bracket for the drive with the coupling part 18 (not shown) is mounted on the opposite side of the housing 11 for automated maintenance compared to manual maintenance, resulting in easier handling.

[0035] However, according to the invention, the maintenance of the sliding closure 10 can also be carried out in a mixed operation with partly manual and partly automated work steps. For example, the drive can be mounted by the robot, and the closure plates in the cassettes can also be changed by the robot, while cleaning work or the plates can be inspected manually to determine their condition after casting.

[0036] The invention is sufficiently demonstrated by the above embodiment. However, it could of course be implemented in other ways. For example, this self-locking or releasable connecting element for the cassettes could be implemented instead of the toggle lever mechanism by a door handle system or a snap lock with a compressible curved spring or similar.

[0037] Likewise, these connecting means could be arranged such that, for example, the toggle lever mechanism is reversed in the housing or in the sliding unit, and the corresponding recesses and snap elements are present in the respective cassette. Furthermore, connecting means could be provided that are positioned longitudinally on the cassettes and the housing or the sliding unit, for example, as snap elements.

[0038] In principle, only one replaceable cassette could be provided in the housing, while the slide unit as a whole would be removed by the robot and reattached to the hinges located on the housing.

[0039] The sliding closure could also be designed such that, instead of a housing and a sliding unit slidably held on it, an additional sliding cover could be provided, which could be attached to the housing by means of fasteners. In automated operation, the robot could tighten or loosen these fasteners with a suitable actuating unit.< / sep> < / tb> < / sep> < / tb> < / sep> < / tb> < / sep> < / tb> < / sep> < / tb> < / sep> < / tb> < / sep> < / tb> < / sep> < / tb>

Claims

1. Method for maintaining a sliding closure on the spout of a metallurgical vessel, in which a robot for automated maintenance automatically determines the exact position of the vessel and the sliding closure (10) at the maintenance station and then mounts an actuator on the sliding closure (10) by means of which the sliding closure (10) is released or is released and opened by the robot by loosening fastening means, and then the robot inserts at least one fire-resistant closure plate (19, 21) into a sliding unit (20) and / or into a housing (11) of the sliding closure (10).from these can be removed, characterized in that it is possible to switch from this maintenance automated with the robot to manual maintenance of the sliding closure (10) at the maintenance station and vice versa, in which partly different work steps are carried out in the automated to the manual maintenance operation.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the locking plates (19, 21) are inserted into or removed from the housing (11) and the slide unit (20) together with a cassette (15, 25) during automated maintenance, whereas these cassettes (15, 25) are fixed in the housing (11) or in the slide unit (20) during manual maintenance operation, and the locking plates (19, 21) are manually inserted directly into these cassettes remaining in the slide lock (10) and centered or fastened or released therein.

3. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that these cassettes (15, 25) with the respective closure plate (19, 21) inserted therein are grasped by the robot during automated maintenance operation and pressed into the housing (11) or into the slide unit (20) and are automatically locked therein and, conversely, are pulled out of it by the robot and preferably automatically released.

4. Method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the cassette (15) is centered laterally at the housing (11) by means of centering elements (13) in corresponding guide elements (12) and held in the direction of displacement.

5. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the maintenance of the sliding closure (10) is carried out in a mixed operation with partly manual and partly automated work steps.

6. Sliding closure on the spout of a metallurgical vessel, preferably for carrying out the method according to one of claims 1 to 5, comprising a housing (11) attachable to the vessel and a sliding unit (20) longitudinally displaceable relative to the housing, into which a fire-resistant closure plate (19, 21) can each be inserted, characterized in that a cassette (15, 25) for receiving a closure plate (19, 21) is included in the housing (11) and / or in the sliding unit (20), which can each be fixed or released therein by means of self-locking or preferably self-releasing connecting means.

7. Sliding closure according to claim 6, characterized in that for the connecting means of the removable cassettes (15, 25) at least one retaining element (26, 26́) or at least one toggle lever mechanism (30) is provided on one end side and at least one toggle lever mechanism (30) opposite, whereas at least one corresponding receiving element (27, 29) and a snap element (28) are provided on the housing (11) and the sliding unit (20), wherein the respective cassette (15, 25) with the retaining element (26, 26́) can be inserted at an angle into the housing or into the sliding unit and can consequently be fixed therein by pressing it in through the engaging toggle lever mechanism (30) at the snap element (28).

8. Sliding closure according to claim 7, characterized in that a respective toggle lever mechanism (30) has a spring-loaded lever (31) pivotally mounted in the cassette (15, 25) and a catch (33) rotatably connected to it and pivotably mounted on the cassette by means of an axis (36), wherein the lever (31) is adjustable in its longitudinal direction to a limited extent by means of a compression spring (34) in a sleeve (32) and thus a continuously acting torque can be generated at the catch (33).

9. Sliding closure according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that at least one cam (26) or one bolt (26́) is assigned as retaining elements in the respective cassette (15, 25) and at least one corresponding recess (27) or stop (29) is assigned to the housing (11) and the sliding unit (20).

10. Sliding closure according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that when the cassette (15, 25) is removed, a certain pulling force can be generated on it approximately perpendicular away from the housing (11) or away from the sliding unit (20), whereby this toggle lever mechanism (30) is rotatable by the resulting torque on the catch (33) at the support (28́) in the direction to the open position, whereby the cassettes can be released automatically.

11. Sliding closure according to claim 6, characterized in that the cassette (15) is provided with lateral centering elements (13) and the housing (11) with corresponding guide elements (12).

12. Sliding closure according to claim 6, characterized in that a clamping device (40) that can clamp the respective closure plate (19, 21) is contained in a respective cassette (15, 25), which consists of an adjusting bracket (41), clamping modules (45) extending on both sides to the closure plate with plungers (46) and wedges (47) and a toggle lever linkage (42) for actuating the clamping device (40).

13. Sliding closure according to claim 11, characterized in that the clamping modules (45) are embedded in the cassette (15, 25) and each have a spring element (44) which is connected to a respective plunger (46) and causes a spring pressure to be exerted in the clamping direction when the clamped state is in place.