Metallurgical apparatus – Means for cutting solid metal with heat – e.g. – blowpipes
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-02
2001-07-17
Kastler, Scott (Department: 1742)
Metallurgical apparatus
Means for cutting solid metal with heat, e.g., blowpipes
Reexamination Certificate
active
06261512
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of oxy-cutting torches.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Most presently known torches comprise a nozzle having a cutting orifice and a plurality of heating orifices. The cutting orifice serves to bring a flow of cutting oxygen to the workpiece, while the heating orifices enable the workpiece for cutting to be heated by burning a fuel gas in the heating oxygen. To illustrate the technological background, reference can be made to the following documents: DE-A-14 29 136, FR-A-444 349, DE-C-249 170, DE-B-12 09 973, and FR-E-9375. Reference can also be made to document U.S. Pat. No. 3 934 818 which shows an oxy-cutting torch fitted with a cooling system for spraying an air and water mixture of adjustable composition.
More recent techniques are illustrated in documents WO 96/18071 and WO 96/26806.
Although oxy-cutting methods using oxy-cutting torches are in widespread use in various stages of steelworking, it appears that the design and the materials used do not enable high precision to be obtained for machining purposes, even though ever greater precision is being required ever more frequently, and above all traditional torches continue to be tools that are fragile compared with their environment, which gives rise to high maintenance costs and to losses of production. In particular, torch nozzles are generally positioned relatively imprecisely on their supports which are generally made of copper, and such supports are moved frequently in operation, possibly with jolting. Consequently, the imprecise positioning, which deteriorates as use continues, gives rise to losses of throughput. When one or more nozzles are used simultaneously, these variations in positioning have an effect that is particularly harmful insofar as the various jets from the nozzles run the risk of interfering with one another, which naturally harms the efficiency of the action of such jets.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention seeks specifically to resolve that problem by designing oxy-cutting equipment which is simultaneously robust so as to guarantee precision over time in spite of the thermal constraints of the environment, while also making it possible for maintenance to be simple, practical, and fast so as to take account of production requirements, while simultaneously optimizing manufacturing and running costs and also keeping intervention times down to a minimum.
An object of the invention is thus to provide an oxy-cutting torch which presents simultaneously the advantages of high precision, long life, and easy disassembly.
According to the invention, this problem is resolved by an oxy-cutting torch comprising a support element made of an undeformable block of material that can be machined with precision, said support element including integrated pipes for feeding heater and make-up gases and cooling liquid, and a heater element permanently fixed against a bottom face of the support element, said heater element being made of a solid block in which passages are formed for the gases and cooling fluid, which passages communicate directly with the corresponding pipes of the support element, and at least one nozzle positioned with precision in two bores in axial alignment provided respectively in the support element and the heater element, said nozzle opening out in the free face of the heater element and being connected to a pipe for feeding it with cutting oxygen.
Preferably, the torch comprises a holding element for positioning the nozzle precisely, said element passing in an associated bore in the support element and covering that portion of the nozzle which is in said support element. In particular, the holding element covers the nozzle via a terminal bore thereof which connects with a bearing shoulder co-operating with the upstream edge of the nozzle, which nozzle has on its outside a bearing shoulder for bearing against the heater element.
Also preferably, the holding element is fixed on the support element by quick-fixing means, and said holding element also has an inlet bore associated with the connection of the cutting oxygen feed pipe.
Also advantageously, the pipes and passages for cooling liquid are organized to pass close to the nozzle. Thus, the cooling circuit which is common to the base element and to the heating element, enables stable thermal conditions to be ensured for the cutting oxygen nozzle(s) integrated in the mechanical assembly that is regularly cooled in this way.
Finally, and preferably, the support element is made of stainless steel and the heater element of copper, the nozzle being made of a suitable material such as copper, brass, or ceramic.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1495164 (1924-05-01), Coberly
patent: 3934818 (1976-01-01), Arnold
patent: 4468007 (1984-08-01), Dillon
patent: 2635284 (1990-02-01), None
patent: 96/18071 (1996-06-01), None
patent: 96/26806 (1996-09-01), None
Donze Michel
Prioretti Guy
Friedman Stuart J.
Kastler Scott
Nixon & Peabody LLP
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