Metal founding – Including vibrator means – In continuous casting mold
Utility Patent
1998-08-19
2001-01-02
Lin, Kuang Y. (Department: 1722)
Metal founding
Including vibrator means
In continuous casting mold
C164S478000, C164S418000, C164S443000
Utility Patent
active
06167940
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an oscillating device for a continuous casting mould, in particular for the continuous casting of steel.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
During continuous cast of steel billets the moulds are vibrated in the casting direction to prevent adherence of the billet to the cooled inner walls of the casting tube. These mould vibrations may have a frequency of several Hz and an amplitude of more than 10 mm, for example, the oscillating mass amounting to several tonnes. The vibration of the mould accordingly requires an extremely high power input. It follows that it is desirable to keep the oscillating mass as small as possible.
A conventional oscillating device comprises a lifting table, on which the continuous casting mould is arranged as a unit. These lifting tables have a relatively large mass and also require a large amount of space under the mould, where this space is not always available. A lifting table of this type is described, for example, in EPA0031133.
A lifting table in the form of a horizontal frame is described in DE-A-2932548. This frame is connected on one side via a simple swivel joint to a first angle lever and on the opposite side via a swivel/sliding joint to a second angle lever. The two angle levers are mounted in fixed pivot bearings and connected both to each other and also to the oscillating drive. This lifting table is designed to permit a curved oscillating motion of the mould.
A swivelling device which has an eccentric drive with a lateral jib is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,593,743. The mould to be vibrated is suspended from the free end of the jib.
The international patent application WO 95/03904 describes a mould which has a fixed casing, to which a casting tube is connected via two flexibly deformable, annular sealing diaphragms in such a way that it can vibrate in the casing along the casting axis. The annular sealing diaphragms seal an annular pressure chamber for a cooling liquid around the casting tube. At its top end the casting tube comprises lateral bearing journals with which it is suspended from an oscillating lever. The latter is pivotable about a horizontal axis in the casing. A lever arm is led out of the pressure chamber through a seal and connected to a lifting cylinder which produces the vibrations. With this mould the mass of the parts to be vibrated and thus the power input is greatly reduced. A disadvantage of this mould is that changing of the casting tube is relatively time-consuming, because the annular sealing diaphragms first have to be dismantled.
The international patent application WO 95/05910 describes a compact oscillating device, which has an annular lifting cylinder, in which a mould consisting of a casting tube and a cooling box can be suspended axially. The mould cooling box is connected to a cooling water circuit via flexible pipe joints. Although the mould can be installed in and removed from this oscillating device relatively easily, the oscillating device is of fairly elaborate design due to the annular lifting cylinder, in particular for moulds with a large cross-section. The present application is based on the task of providing a compact and simple oscillating device, in which the continuous casting mould can be installed and removed relatively easily.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This problem is solved by an oscillating device according to claim
1
.
An oscillating device according to the invention comprises a supporting structure, an oscillating lever with a forked first lever arm as well as a second opposing lever arm, this oscillating lever being pivotable about an axis in the supporting structure by means of first swivel joints, a stroke generator connected to a second arm of the oscillating lever and an oblong supporting cage, into which the continuous casting mould can be placed, one end of this supporting cage being connected via second swivel joints to the forked first arm of the oscillating lever and the other end of this supporting cage guided via at least one guide element in the supporting structure. Hence the continuous casting mould need be suspended only in the supporting cage secured to the oscillating lever and can therefore be installed and removed particularly easily. The oscillating lever with supporting cage is a simple construction, which can also be adapted to moulds with a large cross-section at reasonable cost and occupies little or no space under the mould. The weight of the continuous casting mould can be largely compensated by a counterweight on the second arm of the oscillating lever, so that the stroke generator need not operate against the total weight of the continuous casting mould and can therefore be of relatively small design.
The minimum of one guide is advantageously connected via a first swivel joint to the supporting structure and via a second swivel joint to the supporting cage. If the supporting cage with the continuous casting mould installed is to vibrate along a curved centre line of a curved cast billet, the axes of the swivel joints must be at right angles to a plane which includes the curved centre line, a first straight line intersecting the axes of the swivel joints between the oscillating lever and supporting cage and between the oscillating lever and supporting structure in this plane and a second straight line intersecting the axes of the swivel joints between guide element and supporting cage and between guide element and supporting structure, these axes being positioned in relation to each other in such a way that the first straight line and the second straight line intersect approximately in the centre of curvature of the curved centre line of the cast billet. If the supporting cage is always to remain parallel with itself during vibration, the axes of the swivel joints must be positioned in relation to each other in such a way that the predefined first and second straight lines are parallel with each other.
In the already known oscillating devices flexible hose connections or relatively long pipe compensators were used to supply a coolant to the oscillating device. Flexible hose connections or pipe compensators in the area of the continuous casting device are not unproblematical. There is always a risk of damage due to the high temperatures and metal splashes. Furthermore, they require a large amount of space and offer only low resistance to the oscillating stresses. To replace flexible hose connections and pipe compensators the oscillating lever and/or the guide elements each have at least one coolant duct, which terminates in a pipe connection piece fixed in relation to the supporting structure via a first swivel joint connection in one of the first swivel joints, and in a pipe connection piece fixed in relation to the supporting cage via a second swivel joint connection in one of the second swivel joints. A feed or return pipe of an outer cooling circuit can be rigidly connected to the pipe connection piece fixed in relation to the supporting structure. By contrast a feed or return pipe of an inner cooling circuit of a continuous casting mould can be rigidly connected to the pipe connection piece fixed in relation to the supporting cage.
The supporting cage advantageously comprises a lower and an upper U-shaped frame, which are advantageously connected rigidly to each other. The continuous casting mould can be introduced laterally into this rigid supporting cage, the lower and upper U-shaped frames each being closable by a crossbar.
The supporting cage advantageously comprises lateral pressure devices for play-free centering of the continuous casting mould in the casting axis.
The invention likewise relates to a continuous casting device with an oscillating device as described above. A continuous casting device of this type has, for example, a continuous casting mould with at least one top collector which is designed as a counter-support suitable for the upper U-shaped frame.
The continuous casting mould can be designed as a tubular mould or assembled from mould plates. If the continuous casting mould is assembled fr
Andonov Radomir
Kaell Norbert
Kremer Andr{acute over (e)}
Lonardi Emile
Petry Rudy
Lin Kuang Y.
Paul Wurth S.A.
Smith , Gambrell & Russell, LLP
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