Star wheel and sintering machine system

Abstract

This invention provides a star wheel and a sintering machine system. The star wheel includes a wheel body; a rotating connector connected to the wheel body and driving the wheel body to rotate; a support frame located on a support base surface, supporting the wheel body via the rotating connector; and a lifting component connected to the rotating connector, which drives the wheel body closer to or further away from the support base surface. By using the lifting component, the wheel body can be moved closer to or further away from the support base surface, thus achieving lifting of the wheel body. This changes the meshing position between the star wheel and the sintering machine trolley, reducing the upward friction of the wheel body on the sintering machine trolley and preventing arching.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of sintering machine technology, specifically to a star wheel and a sintering machine system. Background Technology

[0002] As one of the most critical pieces of equipment in the sintering process, the working condition of the sintering machine greatly affects the efficiency of the sintering process.

[0003] Currently, steel mills commonly use tail-moving sintering machines. When the return trolley is pushed back along the curved tail rail by the sprocket toothed plate, it often experiences varying degrees of bridging, meaning the sintering machine trolley wheels lift up and cannot contact the lower rail of the return track. This bridging phenomenon has a significant impact on production and equipment, easily damaging equipment, causing air leaks, affecting the output and quality of sintered ore, and even causing production shutdowns.

[0004] To address the arching phenomenon of sintering machine trolleys, some solutions involve adding pressure rails to press down on the arched trolleys. However, the significant upward force on the trolleys makes it difficult for the pressure rails to hold them in place, resulting in poor pressure reduction. Other solutions involve adding sloping tracks, allowing the trolleys to climb a short distance before returning to the horizontal track along a sloping path. During this ascent and descent, adjacent trolleys separate at the top of the slope, allowing them to return to the horizontal track. However, this design can lead to a problem when the sintering machine stops, as the trolleys cool down from their hot state, they may not automatically return to their original positions and press against each other, resulting in gaps between the trolleys. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To at least partially address the problems existing in the prior art, according to one aspect of the present invention, a star wheel is provided for driving the movement of a sintering machine trolley. The star wheel includes: a wheel body; a rotating connector connected to the wheel body and driving the wheel body to rotate; a support frame located on a support base surface, the support frame supporting the wheel body via the rotating connector; and a lifting member connected to the rotating connector, the lifting member driving the wheel body closer to or away from the support base surface via the rotating connector.

[0006] The star wheel provided in this application, through the setting of the lifting component, allows the wheel body to be moved away from or closer to the supporting bottom surface, thus achieving the lifting of the wheel body. In this way, the meshing position between the star wheel and the sintering machine trolley can be changed, reducing the upward friction force of the wheel body on the sintering machine trolley and preventing arching.

[0007] For example, the rotating connector includes a bearing housing, which includes a fixed seat and a rotating ring rotatable relative to the fixed seat. The rotating ring is connected to the wheel body and rotates together with the wheel body. The fixed seat is connected to the lifting component and, under the action of the lifting component, drives the rotating ring and the wheel body to move closer to or away from the supporting bottom surface.

[0008] For example, the rotating connector further includes a connecting pad connected to the bottom surface of the fixed seat, and the lifting member is connected to the side of the connecting pad opposite to the fixed seat.

[0009] For example, a limiting member is provided on the support frame, the limiting member extends in a direction away from the bottom surface of the support, and a limiting notch adapted to the limiting member is provided on the connecting pad, the limiting member is engaged in the limiting notch.

[0010] For example, there are at least two limiting notches located on different sides of the connecting pad, and the number of limiting members is the same as the number of limiting notches and they are arranged one-to-one on the support frame.

[0011] For example, the wheel body has an initial position and a raised position relative to the supporting bottom surface. The wheel body in the raised position has a first distance from the supporting bottom surface, and the wheel body in the initial position has a second distance from the supporting bottom surface. The first distance is greater than the second distance.

[0012] When the wheel body is in the initial position, the rotating connector abuts against the support frame. When the wheel body is in the raised position, the rotating connector is separated from the support frame.

[0013] For example, when the wheel body is in the raised position, a support pad is detachably installed between the rotating connector and the support frame.

[0014] For example, there are multiple support pads, wherein the multiple support pads have the same thickness, or at least two of the multiple support pads have different thicknesses.

[0015] For example, the lifting component includes a jack.

[0016] According to another aspect of the present invention, a sintering machine system is also provided, including a sintering machine trolley and any of the above-described star wheels, the wheel body rotating to drive the sintering machine trolley to move.

[0017] A series of simplified concepts are introduced in the description of the invention, which will be further explained in detail in the detailed description section. This description is not intended to limit the key features and essential technical features of the claimed technical solution, nor is it intended to limit the scope of protection of the claimed technical solution.

[0018] The advantages and features of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The following figures are included as part of this invention for understanding its principles. The figures illustrate embodiments of the invention and their descriptions, serving to explain the principles of the invention. In the figures,

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a sintering machine system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the star wheel structure according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A magnified view of part A in the middle;

[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a star wheel according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] The above figures include the following reference numerals:

[0025] 10. Star wheel; 110. Wheel body; 1110. Wheel teeth; 1111. First section; 1112. Second section; 120. Rotary connector; 1210. Bearing seat; 1220. Connecting pad; 130. Support frame; 140. Lifting component; 150. Limiting component; 160. Fastener; 170. Support pad; 20. Sintering machine trolley. Detailed Implementation

[0026] In the following description, numerous details are provided to enable a thorough understanding of the invention. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the following description merely illustrates preferred embodiments of the invention, and that the invention can be practiced without one or more of these details. Furthermore, to avoid obscuring the invention, some technical features well-known in the art have not been described in detail.

[0027] To fully understand the embodiments of the present invention, detailed structures will be presented in the following description. Obviously, the implementation of the embodiments of the present invention is not limited to the specific details familiar to those skilled in the art. Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below; however, in addition to these detailed descriptions, the present invention may have other embodiments.

[0028] This invention provides a star wheel that can be used to drive the movement of a sintering machine trolley. (Refer to the reference...) Figure 1 and Figure 2The star wheel 10 may include a wheel body 110, a rotating connector 120, a support frame 130, and a lifting component 140. The wheel body 110 has multiple teeth 1110. When the wheel body 110 rotates, a portion of the sintering machine trolley 20 engages with the teeth 1110, driving the sintering machine trolley 20. The rotating connector 120 is connected to the wheel body 110 and drives it to rotate. The rotating connector 120 drives the wheel body 110 to rotate under the action of the sintering machine trolley 20. The support frame 130 can be located on a supporting base surface, supporting the wheel body 110 via the rotating connector 120. The supporting base surface can be the ground or any other plane that can support the supporting frame 130. The lifting component 140 is connected to the rotating connector 120, allowing the lifting component 140 to move the wheel body 110 closer to or further away from the supporting base surface. The lifting component 140 can raise or lower the rotating connecting component 120, thereby raising or lowering the wheel body 110. The process of the wheel body 110 moving away from the supporting bottom surface is the raising process, and the process of the wheel body 110 moving closer to the supporting bottom surface is the lowering process. The rotating connecting component 120 and the support frame 130 can be connected and fixed together by fasteners 160. When the lifting component 140 raises or lowers the wheel body 110, the fasteners 160 are removed, allowing the rotating connecting component 120 to separate from the support frame 130. After the raising or lowering adjustment process is completed, the fasteners 160 are installed to fix the rotating connecting component 120 to the support frame 130. For example, the fastener 160 can be a double-ended stud, and each end of the double-ended stud can be provided with a nut.

[0029] In existing technologies, adjustments are typically made to the sintering machine trolley after arching has occurred. These adjustments are based on observed phenomena and cannot completely eliminate the arching phenomenon. After simulating and analyzing the meshing of the star wheel 10 and the sintering machine trolley 20, the inventors discovered that the arching of the sintering machine trolley 20 is due to the upward frictional force exerted on the sintering machine trolley 20 by the teeth 1110 of the star wheel 10. Specifically, referring to the reference... Figure 1 and Figure 3 Each tooth 1110 has a first segment 1111 and a second segment 1112 (to make it easier to distinguish the first segment 1111 and the second segment 1112, Figure 3(The second segment 1112 is a dashed line). When the sintering machine trolley 20 meshes with the gear teeth 1110, the wheel body 110 rotates clockwise. After the gear teeth 1110 contact and mesh with the sintering machine trolley 20, they disengage. At the moment of meshing, because the second segment 1112 is in contact with the sintering machine trolley 20, an upward frictional force is applied to the sintering machine trolley 20. If the frictional force is large enough, it will cause arching. In this application, the wheel body 110 is raised, which allows the first segment 1111 to contact the sintering machine trolley 20, reducing the upward frictional force on the sintering machine trolley 20. When the first segment 1111 contacts the sintering machine trolley 20, it can apply a downward component force to the sintering machine trolley 20, preventing arching. It should be noted that the structure of the first segment 1111 and the second segment 1112 of the gear teeth 1110 is set to the structure commonly used for the gear teeth 1110 of the star wheel 10 in the prior art. Understandably, to change the meshing position between the wheel body 110 and the sintering machine trolley 20, it could also be achieved by lowering the track of the sintering machine trolley 20, but this is quite difficult in practice. Alternatively, some solutions suggest adjusting the tooth profile of the wheel to reduce arching, but this involves changing the shape of the commonly used wheel body, which carries significant risks and costs.

[0030] The star wheel 10 provided in this application, through the setting of the lifting component 140, allows the wheel body 110 to be moved away from or closer to the supporting bottom surface, thereby achieving the lifting of the wheel body 110. In this way, the meshing position between the star wheel 10 and the sintering machine trolley 20 can be changed, reducing the upward friction force of the wheel body 110 on the sintering machine trolley 20 and avoiding the occurrence of arching.

[0031] For example, refer to Figure 2 and Figure 4 The rotating connector 120 may include a bearing housing 1210, which may include a fixed seat and a rotating ring rotatable relative to the fixed seat. The rotating ring can be connected to the wheel body 110 and rotate together with the wheel body 110. The fixed seat can be connected to the lifting member 140 and, under the action of the lifting member 140, can drive the rotating ring and the wheel body 110 to move closer to or away from the supporting base. That is, the lifting member 140 is connected to the fixed seat, and the lifting member 140 can raise or lower the fixed seat. The fixed seat, the rotating ring, and the wheel body 110 rise or fall as a whole. In this way, the rotating ring ensures the rotation of the wheel body 110, and the fixed seat facilitates the connection and operation of the lifting member 140, resulting in a simpler structural design. For example, the bearing housing 1210 may be made of cast steel and is weldable.

[0032] For example, in conjunction with reference Figure 2 and Figure 4The rotating connector 120 may further include a connecting pad 1220, which can be connected to the bottom surface of the fixed base. The lifting member 140 can be connected to the side of the connecting pad 1220 away from the fixed base. That is, the lifting member 140 is located at the bottom of the rotating connector 120. The lifting member 140 can be positioned between the supporting bottom surface and the rotating connector 120. The lifting member 140, located at the bottom, pushes the rotating connector 120 upwards to move the wheel body 110 away from the supporting bottom surface. Correspondingly, the upward thrust of the lifting member 140 decreases, bringing the wheel body 110 closer to the supporting bottom surface. The connecting pad 1220 allows the lifting member 140 to better apply force to the rotating connector 120, and under the action of the connecting pad 1220, the fixed base can be subjected to more even force. The lifting member 140, located at the bottom of the rotating connector 120, allows the wheel body 110 to move away from or closer to the supporting surface through its thrust, avoiding the occupation of external space. Exemplarily, after the initial installation and adjustment, the connecting pad 1220 can be welded and fixed to the bearing seat 1210. In an embodiment not shown, the lifting member can be located on the side of the wheel body. In an embodiment not shown, the lifting member can be directly connected to the fixed seat.

[0033] For example, in conjunction with reference Figure 2 and Figure 4 A limiting member 150 can be provided on the support frame 130. The limiting member 150 can extend in a direction away from the bottom surface of the support. A limiting notch adapted to the limiting member 150 can be provided on the connecting pad 1220, and the limiting member 150 is engaged with the limiting notch. The limiting notch can be located anywhere on the connecting pad 1220, as long as it is engaged with the limiting member 150. The limiting member 150 can be set to any shape according to usage requirements. For example, the limiting member 150 can be cylindrical. The limiting notch can be set to a semi-circular notch, and the diameter of the semi-circular notch is the same as the diameter of the limiting member 150. It is understood that as the wheel body 110 moves closer to or away from the bottom surface of the support, the wheel body 110 only needs to move in the vertical direction. The limiting member 150 can limit the connecting pad 1220, preventing it from moving horizontally, and thus preventing the rotating connector 120 and the wheel body 110 connected to the rotating connector 120 from moving horizontally. This better ensures the fixed position of the wheel body 110 in the horizontal direction.

[0034] For example, in conjunction with reference Figure 2 and Figure 3There can be at least two limiting notches, each located on a different side of the connecting pad 1220. The number of limiting members 150 can be the same as the number of limiting notches, and they are correspondingly arranged on the support frame 130. There can be two limiting notches, and the number of limiting members 150 can be two. Furthermore, the two limiting notches can be located on opposite sides along the length of the connecting pad 1220. This arrangement of the limiting members 150 and limiting notches provides a better limiting effect.

[0035] For example, refer to Figure 2 The wheel body 110 can have an initial position and a raised position relative to the supporting bottom surface. In the raised position, the wheel body 110 has a first distance from the supporting bottom surface, while in the initial position, it has a second distance, the first distance being greater than the second distance. When the wheel body 110 is in the initial position, the rotating connector 120 abuts against the supporting frame 130; when the wheel body 110 is in the raised position, the rotating connector 120 is spaced apart from the supporting frame 130. In embodiments with a connecting pad 1220, the initial position can be understood as the connecting pad 1220 directly abutting against the supporting frame 130, and the raised position can be understood as the preset position after the lifting member 140 is raised. It is understood that, depending on the actual site conditions, the wheel body 110 needs to be raised to different heights; that is, there can be multiple raised positions, with different first distances, but all greater than the second distance. The distance between the wheel body 110 and the supporting base can be the distance between the rotation center of the wheel body 110 and the supporting base, or the distance between the lowest or highest point of the wheel body 110 and the supporting base. The first and second distances are only used to distinguish the position of the wheel body 110 at different workstations and are unrelated to which part of the wheel body 110 is selected; therefore, they will not be elaborated further. The initial position can be understood as when the star wheel 10 is running normally, and the sintering machine trolley 20 does not exhibit arching. At this time, the rotating connector 120 abuts against the supporting frame 130. After arching occurs on the sintering machine trolley 20, the lifting component 140 raises the wheel body 110, and the rotating connector 120 separates from the supporting frame 130. At this time, the lifting component 140 can support the rotating connector 120 to achieve support for the wheel body 110. This ensures the stability of the wheel body 110 at different workstations.

[0036] For example, continue to refer to Figure 2When the wheel body 110 is in the raised position, a support pad 170 is detachably installed between the rotating connector 120 and the support frame 130. That is, when the wheel body 110 is raised to the raised position, the support pad 170 can be installed between the rotating connector 120 and the support frame 130. The rotating connector 120 is supported on the support frame 130 by the support pad 170, thus ensuring the stability of the wheel body 110 in the raised position. Furthermore, at this time, the support frame 130 can share the pressure on the lifting member 140; in fact, the support frame 130 can completely bear the pressure of the wheel body 110 and structural components such as the rotating connector 120 connected to the wheel body 110 through the support pad 170. For example, the support pad 170 may be provided with a through hole, through which the lifting member 140 passes and connects to the connecting pad 1220.

[0037] For example, there can be multiple support pads 170, wherein the thickness of the multiple support pads 170 can be the same, or at least two of the multiple support pads 170 can have different thicknesses. This arrangement can satisfy the support frame 130 for the wheel body 110 and the rotating connector 120 at different lifting positions. The total thickness of the multiple support pads 170 does not exceed 40mm, which can avoid the wheel body 110 generating excessive downward force on the sintering machine trolley 20 and avoid increasing wear on the sintering machine trolley 20. In actual operation, the thickness of the support pads can be adjusted multiple times until the sintering machine trolley 20 just does not arch when empty.

[0038] For example, refer to Figure 2 The lifting component 140 may include a jack. Specifically, the jack may include a mounting end and a lifting end movable relative to the mounting end. The mounting end may be disposed on the support base surface, and the lifting end is connected to the connecting pad 1220. The jack can ensure the lifting of the wheel body 110, and the structure is simpler and the cost is lower. In embodiments not shown, the lifting component can be any other type of lifting equipment, such as an overhead crane.

[0039] For example, the specific operation process can be as follows: Loosen the fastener 160, lift the connecting pad 1220 through the lifting member 140, and the connecting pad 1220, together with the bearing seat 1210 and the wheel body 110, moves upward. At this time, the connecting pad 1220 is spaced apart from the support frame 130. Install the support pad 170 between the connecting pad 1220 and the support frame 130. After the adjustment process is completed, tighten the fastener 160. During the movement of the connecting pad 1220, it is always under the limiting action of the limiting member 150 to ensure that the horizontal position of the wheel body 110 remains unchanged and moves only in the vertical direction. After the height of the wheel body 110 moves upward, the meshing position of the wheel teeth 1110 and the sintering machine trolley 20 moves upward, the upward friction force of the wheel body 110 on the sintering machine trolley 20 decreases, and at the same time, the wheel body 110 generates a downward component force on the sintering machine trolley 20 to prevent the sintering machine trolley 20 from moving upward and arching. The adjustment process is simple to operate and does not require disassembly of structural components such as the sintering machine trolley 20 or wheel body 110, and can be adjusted without load.

[0040] According to another aspect of the present invention, a sintering machine system is also provided. This sintering machine system may include a sintering machine trolley 20 and any of the aforementioned star wheels 10. The wheel body 110 rotates to drive the sintering machine trolley 20 to move. Since the star wheel 10 adopts the technical solution of any of the above embodiments, the sintering machine system at least has the beneficial effects brought about by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which will not be elaborated further here. This sintering machine system can be equipped with any type of belt sintering machine. It is understood that this sintering machine system can be obtained by modifying an existing sintering machine system, i.e., adding a lifting component 140, etc., to solve the problem of arching of the sintering machine trolley 20.

[0041] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by directional terms such as "front", "rear", "up", "down", "left", "right", "horizontal", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", and "bottom" is generally based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings and is only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise stated, these directional terms do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on the scope of protection of this invention; the directional terms "inner" and "outer" refer to the inner and outer contours relative to the outline of each component itself.

[0042] For ease of description, relative terms such as "above," "over," "on the upper surface of," and "above" are used here to describe the regional positional relationship of one or more components or features shown in the figures to other components or features. It should be understood that relative terms include not only the orientation of the component as depicted in the figure but also different orientations during use or operation. For example, if the components in the figures are inverted as a whole, "above" or "above other components or features" will include cases where the component is "below" or "under" other components or features. Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below." Furthermore, these components or features may also be positioned at other different angles (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or other angles), and this document intends to include all such cases.

[0043] It should be noted that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to this application. As used herein, the singular form is intended to include the plural form as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, parts, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0044] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of this application described herein can be implemented in sequences other than those illustrated or described herein.

[0045] The present invention has been described through the above embodiments. However, it should be understood that the above embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the invention to the scope of the described embodiments. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and many more variations and modifications can be made based on the teachings of the present invention, all of which fall within the scope of protection claimed by the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A star wheel for driving the movement of a sintering machine trolley, characterized in that, include: Wheel body; A rotating connector, which is connected to the wheel body and drives the wheel body to rotate; A support frame is located on a support base surface, and the support frame supports the wheel body through the rotating connector; as well as A lifting component is connected to the rotating connector, and the lifting component drives the wheel body to move closer to or away from the supporting bottom surface through the rotating connector.

2. The star wheel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rotating connector includes a bearing seat, which includes a fixed seat and a rotating ring that is rotatable relative to the fixed seat. The rotating ring is connected to the wheel body and rotates together with the wheel body. The fixed seat is connected to the lifting component and, under the action of the lifting component, drives the rotating ring and the wheel body to move closer to or away from the supporting bottom surface.

3. The star wheel according to claim 2, characterized in that, The rotating connector also includes a connecting pad, which is connected to the bottom surface of the fixed base, and the lifting component is connected to the side of the connecting pad opposite to the fixed base.

4. The star wheel according to claim 3, characterized in that, The support frame is provided with a limiting member, which extends away from the bottom surface of the support. The connecting pad is provided with a limiting notch that matches the limiting member, and the limiting member is engaged in the limiting notch.

5. The star wheel according to claim 4, characterized in that, The limiting notches are at least two and are located on different sides of the connecting pad. The number of limiting members is the same as the number of limiting notches and they are arranged one-to-one on the support frame.

6. The star wheel according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The wheel body has an initial position and a raised position relative to the supporting base surface. The wheel body in the raised position has a first distance from the supporting base surface, and the wheel body in the initial position has a second distance from the supporting base surface. The first distance is greater than the second distance. When the wheel body is in the initial position, the rotating connector abuts against the support frame; when the wheel body is in the raised position, the rotating connector is spaced apart from the support frame.

7. The star wheel according to claim 6, characterized in that, When the wheel body is in the raised position, a support pad is detachably installed between the rotating connector and the support frame.

8. The star wheel according to claim 7, characterized in that, There are multiple support pads, wherein the multiple support pads have the same thickness, or at least two of the multiple support pads have different thicknesses.

9. The star wheel according to claim 8, characterized in that, The lifting component includes a jack.

10. A sintering machine system, characterized in that, It includes a sintering machine trolley and a star wheel as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the wheel body rotates to drive the sintering machine trolley to move.

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