Overhead coke oven crane

Abstract

A problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an overhead coke oven crane capable of lifting structural components from outside the coke oven and installing them into the coke oven. An overhead coke oven crane (1) provided over a coke oven includes: a base (11) installed on rails (R) of the coke oven; a slewing frame (12) rotatably mounted on the base (11); a truss-structured jib (13) attached to the slewing frame (12); and a winch (15) configured to change a length of a wire (142) suspended from the jib (13).

Description

Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to an overhead coke oven crane provided on the top of a coke oven during reconstruction of the coke oven.Background art

[0002] As described in Patent Literature 1, a hydraulic excavator is disposed on the top of a coke oven to allow structural components to be carried into the coke oven during reconstruction of the coke oven. Fig. 6 shows a conventional hydraulic excavator 5 disposed on the top of a coke oven. The hydraulic excavator 5 is lifted from the ground by a crane vehicle and installed on an oven ceiling OC of the coke oven. Fig. 6 shows a cross-section of the oven ceiling OC and also shows coal charging ports CI. There are combustion chambers and carbonization chambers (not shown) under the oven ceiling OC. Rail R are provided on the oven ceiling OC. The rails R are laid to move a coal charging car (not shown) for feeding coal from the coal charging ports CI into the carbonization chambers.

[0003] In Fig. 6, a traveling carriage 6 is installed on the rails R which are also used for the coal charging car. The traveling carriage 6 includes wheels 61 that allow the traveling carriage 6 to move on the rails R. In addition, the conventional hydraulic excavator 5 shown in Fig. 6 is a crawler vehicle including a crawler 511 on its lower traveling body 51. The hydraulic excavator 5 can move on the traveling carriage 6 by rotating the crawler 511.

[0004] The hydraulic excavator 5 includes an upper slewing body 52 rotatably mounted on top of the lower traveling body 51. The proximal end of a boom 53 is rotatably connected to the upper slewing body 52. An arm 54 is rotatably connected to the distal end of the boom 53. Then, the boom 53 and the arm 54 can pivot in a vertical plane through hydraulic control of an arm cylinder 55. Moreover, by combining the horizontal rotation of the upper slewing body 52, the position of the distal end of the arm 54 can be controlled from within a cabin 56. The upper slewing body 52 includes a counterweight 57, in addition to the boom 53 and the cabin 56.

[0005] The hydraulic excavator 5 includes an exchangeable tip portion at the distal end of the arm 54, and in the example shown in Fig. 6, a bucket (not shown) attached to the tip portion of the arm 54 has been removed. An attachment hole 541 is exposed to the distal end of the arm 54. In Fig. 6, the hydraulic excavator 5 suspends a refractory precast block PB by means of a gripping device G attached to the lower end of a wire W passing through the attachment hole 541. A bucket and so forth can be attached to the attachment hole 541, and the wire W can be attached to the attachment hole 541 to suspend components.Citation listPatent Literature

[0006] PTL1: International Publication No. 2012 / 078036Summary of InventionTechnical Problem

[0007] When being carried into the coke oven, the structural components are lifted from the ground outside the coke oven to the top of the oven ceiling OC. Then, the structural components are lowered into the coke oven via an opening in the oven ceiling OC. However, when the hydraulic excavator 5 installed on the oven ceiling OC shown in Fig 6 attempts in this way, it is not possible to lift the structural components on the ground to the top of the oven ceiling OC because the boom 53 and arm 54 are too short.

[0008] Otherwise, it may be possible to lift the structural components on the ground to the top of the oven ceiling OC if a large hydraulic excavator having long boom and arm is used. As described above, the hydraulic excavator 5 shown in Fig. 5 is lifted from the ground outside the coke oven by a crane vehicle, and installed on top of the oven ceiling OC. The hydraulic excavator 5 is designed to be stable by its own weight when the boom 53 and the arm 54 are activated. In addition, the hydraulic excavator 5 includes the crawler 511 and therefore is heavy. If the size of this hydraulic excavator 5 is increased, it is difficult to lift the hydraulic excavator 5 to the top of the oven ceiling OC.

[0009] Moreover, when the structural components are lifted from the ground, the hydraulic excavator 5 is required to move on the traveling carriage 6 in order to bring the attachment hole 541 at the distal end of the arm 54 out of the coke oven. In this case, the hydraulic excavator 5 is moved by the crawler 511 on the narrow traveling carriage 6, and it is difficult to operate the hydraulic excavator 5 in such a manner that it does not fall off the narrow traveling carriage 6.

[0010] A problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an overhead coke oven crane capable of lifting structural components from outside the coke oven and installing them into the coke oven.Solution to Problem

[0011] According to the present invention, an overhead coke oven crane provided over a coke oven includes: a base installed on rails R of the coke oven; a slewing frame rotatably mounted on the base; a truss-structured jib attached to the slewing frame; and a winch configured to change a length of a wire suspended from the jib.

[0012] The truss-structured jib used in the overhead coke oven crane according to the present invention is lightweight even when it is long, and therefore it is possible to project the jib tip over the ground outside the coke oven. Then, the overhead coke oven crane according to the present invention can lift the structural components from the ground and install them into the coke oven. In addition, since tower cranes for building construction are already commercially available and include truss-type jibs, it is possible to realize the overhead coke oven crane at low cost by repurposing such existing tower cranes.Brief Description of Drawings

[0013] Fig. 1 is a side view showing an overhead coke oven crane installed on an oven ceiling of a coke oven according to an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a transfer range in which three rows of combustion chambers are reconstructed; Fig. 3 is a top view showing the overhead coke oven crane installed on the oven ceiling of the coke oven according to an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 4 is a top view showing the overhead coke oven crane installed on the oven ceiling of the coke oven according to an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 5 shows a temporary fixing device for temporal fixing to rails according to an embodiment of the present invention; and Fig. 6 shows a conventional hydraulic excavator installed on the oven ceiling of the coke oven. Description of Embodiments

[0014] In the present application, with respect to the horizontal directions, the direction in which coke is pushed out of the coke oven is defined as a longitudinal direction FD, and the horizontal direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction FD is defined as a battery direction SD. In the drawings, the longitudinal direction FD is indicated by a double-headed arrow labeled "FD", and the battery direction SD is indicated by a double-headed arrow labeled "SD".

[0015] Fig. 1 is a side view showing an overhead coke oven crane 1 installed on an oven ceiling OC of a coke oven according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 1 shows a state in which the overhead coke oven crane 1 installed on the oven ceiling OC lifts a precast block PB from ground GR on a pusher side PS. The precast block PB is a structural component to construct the coke oven. The upper surface of a lower structure SB of the coke oven constitutes a corbel CB, and an upper structure SU is formed above the corbel CB.

[0016] In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 5, combustion chambers CBC are reconstructed in a transfer range TR, which is part of the coke oven. As shown in Fig. 1, a combustion chamber CBC has been removed from the portion of the upper structure SU corresponding to the transfer range TR. Behind the transfer range TR, cross sections of a combustion chamber CBC that has not been reconstructed and the oven ceiling OC formed on the combustion chamber CBC are visible in Fig. 1. Fig. 1 shows a state in which the wall and oven ceiling OC in the transfer range TR have been removed, exposing the side surface of the oven ceiling OC. Inside the oven ceiling OC, the coal charging ports CI, as shown in FIG. 6, are provided. Fig. 1 is a sectional side view taken along a plane perpendicular to the battery direction SD of the coke oven.

[0017] In the transfer range TR shown in Fig. 1, the combustion chamber CBC is under construction, and multiple layers of precast blocks PB are stacked on the corbel CB. The precast blocks PB are stacked to extend in the longitudinal direction FD.

[0018] The precast blocks PB are eventually stacked up to the oven ceiling OC, and the stacked precast blocks PB form a row, which constitutes the combustion chamber CBC. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the transfer range TR in which three rows of combustion chambers CBC are reconstructed. A carbonization chamber CC is formed between each pair of adjacent combustion chambers CBC. Each of the combustion chambers CBC includes an internal flue space. The oven ceiling OC is formed on the combustion chamber CBC. The oven ceiling OC shown in Fig. 2 is in a state before a castable refractory layer is cast and leveled on its upper surface.

[0019] As shown in Fig. 1, the overhead coke oven crane 1 is installed on the oven ceiling OC of the coke oven. Rails R are provided on the oven ceiling OC of the coke oven. A rail R is composed of a rail base RB and a rail body RM fixed on the rail base RB, and extends across the transfer range TR. Wheels 112 of the overhead coke oven crane 1 are placed on the rails R. On top of the oven ceiling OC, a dry main pipe DM is installed on the pusher side PS of the coke oven, and a dust collection pipe DC is installed on a coke side CS.

[0020] The overhead coke oven crane 1 includes a base 11 at the bottom, a slewing frame 12 mounted on the base 11, a truss-structured jib 13, wires 141 and 142, a winch 15, and a hook 16. The base 11 includes a steel frame 111, four wheels 112 provided under the frame 111, and a pedestal 113 provided on top of the frame 111. The base 11 can be moved on the rails R by the wheels 112. For this movement, the base 11 may be configured to self-propel along the rails R using a motor or other drive source. Alternatively, the base 11 may be manually moved on the rails R by a person pushing it. The slewing frame 12 rotates horizontally around a vertical axis with respect to the pedestal 113. A horizontal shaft is provided on the slewing frame 12, and the jib 13 is pivotable in a vertical plane about the horizontal shaft.

[0021] The winch 15 installed on the slewing frame 12 shown in Fig. 1 can wind up the wire 141 and the wire 142. The wire 141 is connected to a jib tip 131, which is the distal end of the jib 13, and lifting the wire 141 allows the jib tip 131 to be raised, thereby adjusting the elevation angle of the jib 13. The wire 142 is connected from the winch 15 to the hook 16 via the jib tip 131, and by operating the winch 15, the length of the wire 142 suspended from the jib 13 can be adjusted, thereby raising or lowering the hook 16.

[0022] In Fig. 1, the overhead coke oven crane 1 lifts the precast block PB on the pusher side PS of the coke oven, by means of the wire W attached to the hook 16 and the gripping device G attached to the wire W. The overhead coke oven crane 1 can raise and lower the hook 16, the wire W connected to the hook 16, the gripping device G, and the precast block PB by changing the length of the wire 142 using the winch 15. In addition, the overhead coke oven crane 1 can move the jib tip 131 horizontally by rotating the slewing frame 12 horizontally relative to the base 11. Also, the overhead coke oven crane 1 can move the jib tip 131 horizontally by changing the angle of the jib 13. When the jib 13 is tilted upward, the jib tip 131 moves closer to the slewing frame 12 in the horizontal direction. Therefore, it is possible to adjust the horizontal distance from the slewing frame 12 to the suspended precast block PB by adjusting the angle of the jib 13.

[0023] The overhead coke oven crane 1 raises the precast block PB to a height above the dry main pipe DM as shown in Fig. 1, and then rotates the slewing frame 12. Then, the angle of the jib 13 is adjusted. By this means, the overhead coke oven crane 1 moves the precast block PB over the dry main pipe DM and delivers it to the transfer range TR. After that, the precast block PB is lowered by paying out the wire 142 using the winch 15, and placed on another precast block PB or the corbel CB. The precast block PB held and lifted by the gripping device G shown in Fig. 1 is placed on another precast block PB by the overhead coke oven crane 1.

[0024] Fig. 3 is a top view showing the overhead coke oven crane 1 installed on the oven ceiling OC of the coke oven according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 3 is a top view corresponding to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 shows a cross section taken along a dashed line in Fig. 3, viewed from the direction indicated by the upward-pointing arrow. In the transfer range TR, the oven ceiling OC and the combustion chambers CBC beneath it have been removed in the coke oven in Fig. 3. The coke oven in Fig. 3 is shown in a state where the precast blocks PB are being stacked, after three rows of combustion chambers CBC arranged in the battery direction SD and extending in the longitudinal direction FD have been removed. Two rails R are laid on the oven ceiling OC of the coke oven in the battery direction SD, and remain suspended in midair in the transfer range TR.

[0025] In the transfer range TR shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of precast blocks PB (shown in Fig. 1) are installed on the side closer to the overhead coke oven crane 1. Similarly to Fig. 1, Fig. 3 also shows an intermediate state in which a plurality of precast blocks PB are being stacked to construct a combustion chamber CBC. A carbonization chamber CC is formed between the precast blocks PB in the transfer range TR on the side closer to the overhead coke oven crane 1 and the existing combustion chamber CBC that has not been reconstructed. On the side opposite to the overhead coke oven crane 1 in the battery direction SD, the corbel CB is exposed, as precast blocks PB have not yet been placed there.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 3, the two rails R extend in the battery direction SD. In the transfer range TR, the oven ceiling OC has been removed, and as a result, the rails R that were originally mounted on top of it are left suspended in midair. The rail R is composed of the wide rail base RB and the narrow rail body RM fixed on top of the rail base RB. The base 11 of the overhead coke oven crane 1 is placed on the rails R. As shown in Fig. 1, the frame 111 of the base 11 is supported on the rail body RM of the rail R via the wheels 112. Therefore, the overhead coke oven crane 1 can move on the rails R in the battery direction SD.

[0027] In the base 11, a pedestal 113 is fixed on top of the frame 111, which is constructed by assembling and crossing a plurality of steel members. The pedestal 113 is structured such that legs 113b extend from four sides of a circular disc 113a, and the ends of the legs 113b are fixed to the top of the frame 111. The slewing frame 12 is rotatably placed on the pedestal 113. In addition, the jib 13 and the winch 15 are mounted on the slewing frame 12. The winch 15 can individually wind the wires 141 and 142 that extend to the jib tip 131. In Fig. 3, the precast block PB gripped by the gripping device G is positioned below the jib tip 131. The jib tip 131 in Fig. 3 is positioned above the ground GR on the pusher side PS of the coke oven as shown in Fig. 1. The precast block PB gripped by the gripping device G is also positioned above the ground GR on the pusher side PS. In Fig. 3, the jib 13 is shown with its tip portion 131 positioned higher than that in Fig. 1.

[0028] Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the overhead coke oven crane 1 in a state where the slewing frame 12 has been slewed. In the state shown in Fig. 4, the slewing frame 12 of the overhead coke oven crane 1 has been slewed approximately 100 degrees from the position shown in Fig. 3, and the jib tip 131 is positioned above the transfer range TR. In the state shown in Fig. 4, by paying out the wire 142, the precast block PB suspended from the jib tip 131 can be placed on top of the other precast blocks PB that have already been placed.

[0029] The overhead coke oven crane 1 can control the horizontal position of the precast block PB suspended from the jib tip 131 via the hook 16, by rotating the slewing frame 12 and changing the angle of the jib 13 to adjust the horizontal position of the jib tip 131. By changing the angle of the jib 13, the distance from the slewing frame 12 to the precast block PB in the horizontal direction is changed. Moreover, the suspended precast block PB can be raised and lowered by adjusting the position of the hook 16 suspended from the jib tip 131 up and down via the wire 142. Using this position control, the overhead coke oven crane 1 places the precast block PB at a predetermined location within the transfer range TR to construct the combustion chambers CBC.<Installation of Overhead coke oven crane>

[0030] When assembling the overhead coke oven crane 1 shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4 on the rails R, its components are hoisted onto the oven ceiling OC from the pusher side PS using a crane. A crane vehicle such as a rough terrain crane may be used to hoist the components of the overhead coke oven crane 1 onto the oven ceiling OC.

[0031] First, the base 11 including the frame 111, the wheels 112 and the pedestal 113 is assembled on the ground GR. Then, the base 11 is hoisted onto the oven ceiling OC by the crane vehicle (not shown) and placed on the rails R. At this stage, it is preferable to temporarily fix the base 11 to the rails R. Then, the slewing frame 12 is hoisted by the crane vehicle and placed on the pedestal 113. The winch 15 is fixed to the slewing frame 12 according to the present embodiment, and therefore the slewing frame 12 is hoisted with the winch 15 and placed. Then, the jib 13 and other components are hoisted by the crane vehicle and assembled onto the slewing frame 12, thereby completing the overhead coke oven crane 1. Since the base 11 is constructed as a frame structure or the like, it is relatively lightweight and can be hoisted by the crane vehicle. In order to ensure stability during operation of the overhead coke oven crane 1, a counterweight may be placed on the installed base 11 as needed. When dismantling the overhead coke oven crane 1, it may be disassembled in the reverse order of the installation and lowered from the oven ceiling OC using the crane vehicle.

[0032] The jib 13 of the overhead coke oven crane 1 has a lightweight truss structure, rather than a heavier box-type structure. Therefore, the jib 13 is long enough that, when tilted downward, the jib tip 131 reaches the ground GR outside the coke oven, yet it is lightweight enough to be hoisted onto the oven ceiling. By winding up the wire 142 with the winch 15, and then rotating the slewing frame 12 and winding the wire 141 to raise the jib 13, the structural components placed on the ground GR can be hoisted over the dry main pipe DM and brought up onto the oven ceiling OC. Furthermore, the overhead coke oven crane 1 does not include a component corresponding to the crawler 511 of the hydraulic excavator 5 shown in Fig. 6. The pedestal 113 of the overhead coke oven crane 1 is fixed to the frame 111, and therefore does not fall off the frame 111. In the overhead coke oven crane 1, the slewing frame 12 to which the base end of the jib 13 is attached does not move in the longitudinal direction FD.

[0033] A tower crane used to construct buildings has a truss-structured jib. Tower cranes are designed for assembly and disassembly at elevated locations, and their components are lightweight based on the assumption that they are lifted using a mobile crane and so forth. Therefore, it is possible to use the components for tower cranes in the slewing frame 12, the truss-structured jib 13 and the winch 15 of the overhead coke oven crane 1 described above. In addition, since tower cranes are already commercially available and include truss-type jibs, it is possible to realize the overhead coke oven crane 1 at low cost by repurposing such existing tower cranes. Meanwhile, the existing components for tower cranes may be used in part of the components of the overhead coke oven crane 1, for example, the slewing frame 12. Alternatively, part of the components for existing tower cranes may be reformed for the overhead coke oven crane 1 and used.

[0034] In the present embodiment, when the overhead coke oven crane 1 is assembled, or when the precast block PB is moved by the overhead coke oven crane 1, it is preferable to temporarily fix the base 11 to the rails R. Fig. 5 shows a temporary fixing device 2 configured to temporarily fix the base 11 to the rails R. The temporary fixing device 2 includes a rail suspension clamp 21, a wire 22, a length adjustment screw 23, and a pressure sensor 24. Wiring L extends from the pressure sensor 24. The temporary fixing device 2 is provided in the vicinity of each of the four corners of the frame 111.

[0035] In the present embodiment, as shown in Fig. 5, the length adjustment screw 23 of the temporary fixing device 2 is passed through a hole formed in the frame 111. The length adjustment screw 23 includes a flange 231 formed on its upper part, and the pressure sensor 24 is sandwiched between the flange 231 and the frame 111. The lower part of the length adjustment screw 23 is connected to the wire 22 connected to the upper part of the rail suspension clamp 21. When the length adjustment screw 23 is tightened and the wire 22 is lifted, the rail body RM is clamped between the lower portions of the rail-clamping device 21.

[0036] The rail body RM is fixed to the rail base RB. By tightening the length adjustment screw 23 of the temporary fixing device 2, the base 11 of the overhead coke oven crane 1 is temporarily fixed to the rails R at the four corners of the frame 111. The pressure applied to the temporary fixing device 2 is measured by the pressure sensor 24, and the pressure status is notified by an output device (not shown) via the wiring L. By this means, it is possible to tighten the length adjustment screw 23 so that the pressure measured by the pressure sensor 24 is an appropriate value when the overhead coke oven crane 1 is temporarily fixed to the rails R. In addition, when a load is applied to the jib tip 131, a force that tends to tilt the base 11 is generated, causing an increase in the pressure values measured by the pressure sensors 24 installed at the four corners of the frame 111. When operating the overhead coke oven crane 1, if the pressure sensor 24 detects a pressure exceeding a preset value, an emergency alarm may be issued from the output device.

[0037] In the present embodiment, the pressure sensors 24 are provided as shown in Fig. 5, but may be omitted. In addition, with the example shown in Fig. 5, the base 11 is temporarily fixed to the rails R by the temporary fixing device 2. However, it is sufficient to temporarily fix the base 11 so that it does not move, and the base 11 may be temporarily fixed to the rails R or the oven ceiling OC by another device. Alternatively, the base 11 may not be temporarily fixed as long as it is stable. In the embodiment, the base 11 is provided with the wheels 112, which are installed on the rails R. However, if the overhead coke oven crane 1 does not need to be moved in the battery direction SD, the wheels 112 are not used but the base 11 may be fixedly installed on the rails R. Alternatively, the base 11 may be provided with a mobile device other than the wheels 112 so that the overhead coke oven crane 1 can move along the rails R.

[0038] The embodiment has been described where the precast blocks PB are placed in the transfer range TR. However, the overhead coke oven crane 1 may be applied to other embodiments. For example, structural components other than the precast blocks PB for the combustion chambers CBC or necessary devices may be carried in and out of the transfer range TR. Furthermore, the overhead coke oven crane 1 may be used to newly construct a coke oven.

[0039] For the rest, the specific configuration is not limited to the embodiments, and the design can be changed without departing from the scope of the present invention. In addition, the above-described embodiments can be combined by utilizing each other's technology as long as there is no particular contradiction or problem in the purpose and configuration.List of reference signs

[0040] FD longitudinal direction SD battery direction GR ground OC oven ceiling CI coal charging port R rail RM rail body RB rail base PS pusher side CS coke side SU upper structure CC carbonization chamber CBC combustion chamber CB corbel SB lower structure PB precast block W wire G gripping device TR transfer range DC dust collection pipe DM dry main pipe L wiring 1 overhead coke oven crane 11 base 111 frame 112 wheel 113 pedestal 113a disc 113b leg 12 slewing frame 13 jib 131 jib tip 141 wire 142 wire 15 winch 16 hook 2 temporary fixing device 21 rail suspension clamp 22 wire 23 length adjustment screw 231 flange 24 pressure sensor 5 hydraulic excavator 51 lower traveling body 511 crawler 52 upper slewing body 53 boom 54 arm 541 attachment hole 55 arm cylinder 56 cabin 57 counterweight 6 traveling carriage 61 wheel

Claims

1. An overhead coke oven crane (1) provided over a coke oven comprising: a base (11) installed on rails (R) of the coke oven; a slewing frame (12) rotatably mounted on the base (11); a truss-structured jib (13) attached to the slewing frame (12); and a winch (15) configured to change a length of a wire (142) suspended from the jib (13).

2. The overhead coke oven crane (1) according to claim 1, wherein the base (11) includes wheels (112) configured to allow the base (11) to move on the rails (R).

3. The overhead coke oven crane (1) according to claim 2, wherein the base (11) includes a temporary fixing device (2) configured to temporarily fix the base (11) to the rails (R).

4. The overhead coke oven crane (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the slewing frame (12) is configured for a tower crane.

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