Sliding gate valve at the outlet of a vessel containing, in particular, metal melt and associated refractory valve members

SLIDING GATE VALVE AT THE OUTLET OF A VESSEL CONTAINING, IN PARTICULAR, METAL MELT AND ASSOCIATED REFRACTORY VALVE MEMBERS

The invention relates to a sliding gate valve at the outlet of a vessel containing, in particular, metal melt with at least two refractory valve members which are provided with flow openings and extend into the interior of the vessel and afford sliding surfaces therein at which they are arranged to be sealingly movable with respect to one another, and the associated refractory valve members.

A supply control element of the type described above (DE-C-3540202) comprises substantially two tubes which are arranged concentrically with one another, extend into the vessel and are movable therein with respect to one another and have openings for the passage of melt. The openings in the tubes may be brought more or less into registry by axial lifting movement and/or rotary movement and the outflowing melt may thus be correspondingly quantitatively regulated. The two refractory tubes must be very precisely machined in the mutually contacting surface regions in order to achieve an absolute seal. The machining of these surfaces of rotation is thus relatively expensive. Furthermore, the danger of the tubes breaking off due to transverse forces which may occur is relatively large during assembly and also in the operational state of this supply control element.

It is the object of the present invention to develop a sliding gate valve of the type referred to in such a manner that its valve members may be manufactured more simply and thus economically and with which furthermore an increased operational security is achieved.

The object is solved in accordance with the invention if the valve members each have at least one approximately flat sliding surface within the vessel at which they are sealingly movable with respect to one another to open and close the flow opening. The flat sliding surfaces may be simply manufactured and ensure an optimal operational security.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention the one valve member is fixed in the vessel outlet and the other is movably arranged within the vessel. For each of the two valve members one or two parallel sliding surfaces can be provided.

In a modification the fixed valve member within the vessel includes a cut-out in which a plate is movable to open or close the outlet opening.

The invention is also very suitable for the casting of thin slabs in which the flow openings are of slitshaped construction.

Exemplary embodiments and further advantages of the invention will be described below in more detail with reference to schematic drawings.

Fig. 1 is axial sectional view of a sliding gate valve in accordance with the invention,

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the sliding gate valve of Fig. 1 , the upper half of the cross-section being shown axially to the transversely extending flow opening and the lower half being shown below this transversely extending opening,

Fig. 3 is an axial sectional view viewed in perspective of a further modified valve,

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the sliding gate valve of Fig. 3 and an actuating device,

Fig. 5 is a scrap sectional view on the lines V-V of the valve of Fig. 4,

Fig. 6 is an axial sectional view of a further modified valve,

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line VII-VII of the valve of Fig. 6 and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view in longitudinal section of a sliding gate valve with slit-shaped flow openings.

In Fig. 1 there is shown a sliding gate valve 10 which is arranged in the outlet 13 of a vessel 12 which contains a metal melt and is only shown indicatively or a distributor in the case of continuous casting installations. The valve 10 comprises substantially a fixed refractory valve member 11 and a movable refractory valve member 15 which is longitudinally guided in it. The former has a sleeve-shaped portion 14 embedded in the refractory vessel bottom and has a plate-shaped extension 16 which projects into the interior of the vessel and has a flat sliding surface 17 extending parallel to the.^direction of movement of the movable member 15, which sliding surface is in sealing contact with a sliding surface 18 afforded by a segmental cut-out in the movable valve member 15. A flow opening 19 arranged in the plate-shaped extension may be brought by movement of the valve member 15 more or less into registry with a flow opening 19' in the member 15 which is guided so as to be vertically movable by an actuator, not shown, and permits the metal melt to flow out of this opening 19', for instance to a continuous casting mould. The flat sliding surfaces 17,18 on the valve members 11,15 may be seen again in Fig. 2.

The sliding gate valve 20 shown in Fig. 3 has a refractory valve member 23 which is mortared into a ladle base 22, only illustrated in part, and which is of rectangular construction with two sliding surfaces 25,26 parallel to one another. These sliding surfaces 25,26 are in sealing contact with sliding surfaces 27 and 28 of a U-shaped refractory valve member 24 which is movable in the vertical direction 29 and, in each of its limbs, has a through-opening 32 which, as shown, are in registry with the flow opening 33 in the fixed valve member 24 when the valve 20 is open.

Fig. 4 shows the sliding gate valve 20 on the ladle 22 and the associated actuating device 35,36. The vertically movable valve member 24 is movably supported via a linkage 36 by an actuator 35 which constitutes a piston-cylinder unit and is mounted laterally on the ladle 22. The actuator 35 is mounted on the ladle 22 by means of a hinge joint 37 and is positioned by means of adjusting screws 38 for the purpose of setting the valve member 24 parallel to the axis. A refractory extension rod 31 on the valve member 24 is so supported on the linkage 36 by means of a peg 43 that it has adequate clearance perpendicular to the sliding surfaces 27,28 but is fixed in position in the direction of the sliding surfaces 27,28, as shown in Fig. 5. This valve member 24 is thus on the one hand protected against breaking off and on the other hand positioned with respect to the fixed valve member 23. For the purpose of this positioning, the rod 31 has at its upper end two abutment surfaces 41 and 42 which enable this rod 31 to be centered without play in an opening 39 in the rod 36. For the purpose of regulating the valve 20 the valve member 24 could also be moved horizontally or pivotally.

The sliding gate valve 50 shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 again has a fixed valve member 53 which is fixed in the vessel floor 52 and whose flow opening 55 extends transversely in the interior of the vessel and from there extends vertically through an additional sleeve 56 or a pouring tube vertically out of the vesel. The fixed valve member 53 has a recess which opens into the transverse opening 55 and in which a refractory plate 54 is sealingly, movably guided. The metal melt may be poured in a regulated manner by longitudinal and/or pivotal movement of this plate 54 with its transverse opening 55’. The plate 54 also has a refractory extension 58 and can be moved in a manner similar to the valve shown in Fig. 4. The rod 58 could also pass laterally or downwardly out of the ladle 52.

The sliding gate valve 60 shown in Fig. 8 differs from that in Fig. 3 only in that its refractory valve members 63 and 64 are of elongate construction and their flow openings 65 and 66 are of slit shape. In order to cast a band, particularly when casting thin slabs, there is the requirement that the outlet opening 66 from the container 62 be provided with a slit shape. The flow opening 65 extending in the horizontal direction in the movable valve member 64 again register, when in the open position, with a flow opening 66 whose inlet end is transverse and then merges into the vertical direction. By vertical movement 67 of the member 64 a precisely dosed amount of melt can be poured from the container in the manner of a band.

The sliding gate valve, in particular, of Fig. 8, may be installed, particularly for pouring light metal melts, with the opening 66 in the valve member 63 passing approximately horizontally out of the ladle. The sliding surfaces of the two valve members 63 and 64 would thus also be approximately horizontal in the vessel.

A further modification of the invention, which is not illustrated, would be possible if, for instance in the sliding gate valve of Fig. 3, the upper valve member were fixed whilst the lower were longitudinally movably guided in the vessel bottom.