US2643004A - Lifting boom for ladle cranes - Google Patents

Description

June 23, 1953 R; L. WINGENROTH I 2,643,004

, urrmc BOOM FOR LADLE cams Filed Aug. 27, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FlELl- Pa -L. W/Naf/veom June 23, 1953 R. L.'- WINGENROTH ,0

LIFTING BOOM FOR LADLE "CRANES Filed Aug.'27, 1952 2" Sheets -Sheet 2 $20M? Adz? Patented June 23, 195 3 LIr'rrNG BOOM FOR LADLE cRANEs Roy L. Wingenroth, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Application August 27, 1952, Serial No. 306,567

The present invention relates in general to object-handling apparatus and more particularly to a device especially suitable for handling an open hearth furnace tapping spout by means of a furnace pouring crane hoist.

In current open hearth furnace practice, during tapping of the furnace, the furnace tapping spout, which provides a runway for. the molten metal from the tap hole of the furnace to the pouring ladle, is positioned with one end below the tap hole and its other end resting on the ladle rim. After tapping of the furnace has been completed, it is necessary to remove the tapping spout so that the pouring ladle may be lifted by the pouring crane and carried to a position over the ingot molds at the pouring platform. A jib crane or trolley type monorail crane positioned immediately adjacent the furnace normally handles the tapping spout.

Due to the severe service conditions in the L immediate vicinity of the open hearth furnace, the spout-handling cranes are frequently out of service for maintenance or repair. In a conventional open hearth pouring floor. lay-out, the pouring crane is ordinarily installed in such a manner that its hoist trolley is at its extreme end limit of horizontal travel when the hoist hooks are positioned over the ladle. In this position, the hoist hOOks cannot reach the tapping spout to remove it. Thus, prior to my inven-' tion, the pouring crane could not be utilized to avoid the delay of furnace operations caused by the break-down of the spout handling crane.

Accordingly, it is an object of my invention to provide an object handling device for adapting a hoist crane to handle objects beyond the limits of the horizontal travel of its hooks;

It is another object of my invention to provide an object handling device which may be used in conjunction with the hoist hooks of a pouring crane to eifect the handling of an open hearth furnace tapping spout.

It is a further object of my invention to provide an adaptor which may be quickly and easily fitted on the hoist hooks of an open hearth furnace pouring crane to enable the crane to handle the tapping spout of the furnace.

These and other objects will become more apparent after referring to the following specification and attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view showing the device of my invention in operation;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the device of my invention;

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of Figure 2;

Claims. (Cl. 212-11) spaced from each end thereof.

. 2 Figure 4 is a, side elevation of Figure 3; and Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line V-V of Figure 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawings,

' reference numeral 2 indicates a cantilever boom made up of an I-beam attached to the center of a shaft 4 and a counterbalance slab 6 by means of a bracket 8. Bracket 8 consists of a pair of spaced plates l0 welded or otherwise fastened by their ends l2 in parallel relation to the midportion of the face of the steel slab 6. The ends I 2 of the plates are cut at angles so that the upper longitudinal edges I4 of the plates proje'ct from the face of the slab at an angle of approximately '75 degrees. The outer ends I6 of the lower longitudinal edges l8 of the plates H] are tapered upwardly toward the upper edges 14. A plate 20 is fastened to and extends over the tapered edges l8 as shown in Figures 3 and 4. An elongated plate 22 is fastened to and spans the upper edges M. The lower end of the boom 2 rests on the plate 22 and may be welded or otherwise fastened thereto. The bottom edges l8 are cut out as at 24 to fit'arcund the circum- L ference of the shaft 4 and are welded or otherwise fastened thereto.

End plates 26 are aflixed around the shaft 4 fitted around .each extreme end of the shaft 4 spaced from the end plate 26. A bearing plate 30 is welded by its end to the outer face of each of the end plates 26 and projects normal thereto. The bearing plate 30 is reinforced by a pair of spaced web plates 32 which are also welded to the. outer face of the end plate 26 and extend normal thereto. Another bearing plate 34 reinforced by spaced, parallel web plates 36 is welded to the outer face of each of the end plates 26 above the cut out portion 24 and spaced from thebearing plate 30. Plate 34 is disposed slight- 1y less than 90 degrees from the horizontal plane of bearing plate 30. A gusset plate 38 is Welded flatwise to the upper portion of the end of the boom 2 and endwise to the slab 6 for added reinforcement of the connection of the boom to the slab 6.

A pair of spaced plates 40 ma be fastened by means of bolts 42 to the web of the outer end 44 r of the boom 2, one on each side thereof. The

forward ends 45 of the plates 40, which may be tapered, extend beyond the end of the boom 2 and are provided with matching holes 48 for receiving one end of a chain 50. A hook 52 is carried 0n the opposite end of the chain 50. A pair of cables 54 having eyes 56 at their free ends may A collar 28 is 0 be carried by the hook 52. The eyes 56 are adapted to engage the lift lugs G projecting from either side of the tapping spout.

In operation, the device of my invention is installed on the parallel pair of lift hooks A of a ladle crane B. The portion between the end plate 26 and the collar 28 on each end of the shaft 4 providesa trunnion-like bearing 58 which fits into the curved bearing portion C of each of the books A. The end plates 26 and the collars 28 prevent lateral displacement of the hooks. When the bearing portions 58 of the shaft 4 are fitted into the bearing portions C of the hook A, the bearing plate 30 abuts the hook end D and bearing plate 34 abuts the inner walls E of the hooks A above the bearing portions C. With this arrangement,

clockwise motion of boom 2 is restricted, by the plate 34 and counterclockwise motion by the plate 30. The slab 6 is of sufficient weight to counterbalance the boom 2.

After the device has been fitted on the hooks A,- as described, the craneB is raised'and moved to the end of its bridge (not shown) adjacent the tapping spout F which is to. be removed. At this point, the chain 50 is suspended above the spout F; with the eyes 56 of the cables 54 positioned adjacent the lift lugs G projecting from the sides of the tapping spout F. The eyes 55 are placed on the lugs G and the hooks A are raised to remove the-spout F from operating position between the furnace H and the ladle J and transport it to another location on the pouring floor.

While one embodiment of my invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the. scope of the follow.- ing claims.

I claim:

1. In a ladle crane having a pair of spaced lift hooks suspended therefrom, each of said hooks having a hook end, an involute cam bearing portion adjacent said hook end, and an inner wall extending from said involute cam bearing portion; the combination therewith of a round shaft, a collar of enlarged outside diameter on each end of said shaft, an end plate on each end of said shaft spaced from said collar to form a trunnionlike bearing portion on each end of said shaft between said end plate and said collar, said shaft being adapted to be carried by said hooks with the trunnion-like bearing portion at each end thereof being fitted in the involute cam bearing portions of said hooks, a horizontal bearing plate mounted on the outer face of each of said end plates above said shaft adapted to abut the hook ends of said hooks when said shaft is supported by said hooks, a substantially vertical bearing plate mounted on the outer face of each of said end plates spaced from said horizontal bearing plate and above said shaft adapted to abut said inner walls of said end to said counterbalance, the rearward portion of said boom being supported by and attached to said bracket, the forward end of said boom projecting beyond said bracket in the direction away from said hooks when said shaft is supported thereby, and hook means suspended from the forward end of said boom adapted to engage an object to be handled.

2. The combination as defined in claim 1 including a first pair of spaced reinforcement web plates mounted byv their side edges on the outer face of eachof saidend plates with their edges on one end connected with said horizontal bearing plate, and a second pair of spaced reinforcement web plates mounted by their side edges on the outer face of each of said. end plates substantially normal. to said first pair of reinforcement plates, said second pair of reinforcement web plates abutting one of said first pair of reinforcement web plates at one end and said substantially vertical bearing plate at the other end.

3. The combination as defined in claim 1 characterized by said cantilever boom including an I-beam having a center web portion and an upper lower fianged'portion, and said. hook means including a plate member having a forward and rearward end fastened on. each side of said web portion by its rearward end, the forward ends, of.

said last named plate. members being tapered and projecting from the forward end of said boom, the projecting ends of said tapered plate members having matching holes therethrough, a lift chain, fitted at one end through said matching holes and depending therefrom, and a hook on the depending end of said chain.

1 ROY L. WINGENROTH.

Noreferences cited.-

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