Abstract:
Coke oven doors and more particularly coke oven doors having a unique and novel spring arrangement for maintaining the knife edge of the sealing element in sealed relation to the face of the coke oven door jamb, an improved sealing arrangement at the leveler door, scalloped cutouts in the main frame components to increase efficiency of heat dissipation, a manual adjustment structure incorporated into the main door frame to provide more positive and controlled flexibility of the main door frame and the provision of cuts in the door frame and the manner in which the diaphragm plate is connected to the refractory to provide space for the door frame to flex when adjustments are made.

Description:
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/700,031, filed May 7, 1991, which is in turn a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/082,205, filed Aug. 6, 1987, both of which are abandoned. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to coke oven doors and more particularly to coke oven doors having a unique and novel spring arrangement for maintaining the knife edge of the sealing element in sealed relation to the face of the coke oven door jamb, an improved sealing arrangement at the leveler door, scalloped cutouts in the main frame components to increase efficiency of heat dissipation, a manual adjustment structure incorporated into the main door frame to provide more positive and controlled flexibility of the main door frame and the provision of cuts in the door frame and the manner in which the diaphragm plate is connected to the refractory to provide space for the door frame to flex when adjustments are made. 
     INFORMATION DISCLOSURE STATEMENT 
     Our prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,055 issued Jan. 29, 1980 for Coke Oven Door discloses the most relevant prior art known to applicants and the disclosure in that patent as well as the prior patents discussed in that patent and the prior art made of record in that patent are incorporated herein. U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,055 discloses in detail coke oven structures including the pusher side door which has a small leveler door incorporated therein and the coke side door which does not include any other openings. As indicated in that patent, various problems have been encountered relating to maintaining a proper seal between the coke oven door jamb face and the coke oven door. These problems have been recognized in various other prior patents in addition to U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,055 and the structures disclosed in the prior patents have to some extent provided at least partial solutions to the ongoing problem of maintaining proper sealing contact between the coke oven door and the coke oven door jamb face. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a coke oven door having an improved spring assembly for maintaining the sealing element of the coke oven door in sealing contact with the face of the coke oven door jamb. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a coke oven door utilizing a novel spring assembly for maintaining the sealing arrangement for the leveler door incorporated into the main coke oven door in which the spring arrangement is similar to the spring arrangement for maintaining the sealing element of the main coke oven door in sealing contact with the coke oven door jamb when the main door is in closed position. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide a coke oven door in accordance with the preceding object in which side plate components of the door are provided with scalloped cutouts for more efficient heat dissipation by increasing the surface area in heat exchange contact with ambient air. 
     Still another object of the invention is to provide a coke oven door in accordance with the preceding objects in which the coke oven door is provided with a main frame having flexibility incorporated therein to enable the door to conform with the door jamb with the flexibility of the main frame being manually adjusted thereby providing a more positive and controlled method of obtaining flexibility in the main door frame. 
     A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved connection between the diaphragm plate in the coke oven door and the refractory in order to provide a space therebetween to allow the door to flex when manual adjustments are made to the main door frame. 
     These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the coke oven door of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantially along section line 2--2 on FIG. 1. 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken generally along section line 3--3 on FIG. 1. 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken substantially along section 4--4 on FIG. 1. 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged detailed view of a portion of the diaphragm leaf spring, spring bar and bolt arrangements. 
     FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 6--6 on FIG. 5 illustrating further structural details of these components. 
     FIG. 7 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken substantially along section line 7--7 on FIG. 1 illustrating the connection between the diaphragm and refractory. 
     FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken substantially along section line 8--8 on FIG. 1 illustrating the connection of the main frame to the diaphragm plate. 
     FIG. 9 is a partial elevational view of a pusher side coke oven door in which a leveler door is incorporated. 
     FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along section line 10--10 on FIG. 9 illustrating further structural details of the pusher side door. 
     FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along section 11--11 on FIG. 9 illustrating further structural details of the pusher side door and leveler door incorporated therein. 
     FIG. 12 is a detailed sectional view taken substantially upon section line 12--12 on FIG. 9 illustrating further structural details of the leveler door. 
     FIG. 13 is a schematic plan view of the diaphragm sealing edge. 
     FIG. 14 is a schematic elevational view taken along reference line 14--14 on FIG. 13. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now specifically to the drawings, FIGS. 1-8 disclose a coke side oven door and FIGS. 9-12 disclose a pusher side coke oven door according to the present invention and in association with an oven door jamb of a conventional coke oven. Both embodiments of the door are similar with the pusher side door illustrated in FIGS. 9-12 including a leveler door assembly. In both embodiments, the door consists primarily of a diaphragm plate 3 having a main frame weldment 4 peripherally of the plate 3, a diaphragm sealing edge 1 peripherally of the plate 3 and a diaphragm leaf spring 2 maintaining the sealing edge 1 against the face 49 of the coke oven door jamb 48. 
     The diaphragm leaf spring 2 replaces items 20, 42, 44 and 46 in U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,055 and provides all of the functions of the previous structure into a single leaf spring 2 in order to provide the effectiveness of the contact of the diaphragm sealing edge 1 with the face 49 of the door jamb 48. 
     As illustrated in FIGS. 13 and 14, the improved leaf spring 2 and its relationship to the diaphragm sealing edge 1 illustrate the concept of operation for the improved leaf spring and sealing concept. The leaf springs 2 are formed and heat treated to provide an even distribution of sealing pressure all around the sealing edge 1 with FIG. 13 illustrating a schematic plan view and FIG. 14 a schematic side view of the sealing edge 1 in a relaxed position, that is, with no downward pressure being exerted. FIG. 13 illustrates the sealing edge 1 to be hourglassed in configuration and FIG. 14 shows a downward bow of the sealing edge 1. Both the hourglass effect and downward bow are caused by the tension of the leaf springs 2 at point 2A which squeezes in and pushes down the sealing edge 1 between the corners which are rigid. Thus, when the door is installed on a jamb, the seal edge 1 will first make contact with the face 49 of the jamb 48 at a point half-way between the corners. Therefore, once the sealing edge at the four corners make contact with the face of the jamb, then a complete peripheral seal is obtained. 
     The leaf spring 2 provides a uniform and even distribution of pressure on the sealing edge 1 inasmuch as portion 2A, due to its less width than member 44 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,055, provides greater inward and downward tension on the sealing edge 1 thereby providing a more effective seal with the door jamb. Also, the leaf springs 2 provide, in effect, a flue for the dissipation of heat between the sealing edge 1 and the springs 2 when the door is installed in its vertical position on the door jamb 48. 
     Another change and improvement in both embodiments of the door is the construction of the side plates 4A and 4B as illustrated in FIG. 3 which form part of the main frame weldment 4 and are provided with scalloped notches or cutouts 50, as illustrated in FIG. 2. These cutouts 50 serve to bleed off or dissipate heat from the main frame weldment 4 and from the diaphragm plate 3 thereby reducing distortion/warpage of the door frame. 
     Both embodiments of the invention also have improved flexibility characteristics which replace components 68-76 as described in lines 49-58, col. 8 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,055 and include a main frame adjusting arm 39, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 and in FIG. 11. The adjusting arm 39 includes a main frame adjusting block 40, an adjusting bolt 41 and a locking bolt 42 to lock the main frame adjusting arm 39 in adjusted position. With this structure, rather than using an automatic spring adjustment as in the prior patent, a manual adjustment is provided which provides for a more positive and controlled method of varying the flexibility of the main door frame 4. An additional improvement relating to the flexibility of the door and contributing to the flexibility of the main door frame weldment 4, sectional cuts 51 are made in the main door frame weldment 4. Additionally, the diaphragm plate 3 is connected to the refractory 47 by bolts 23 with a fire ring 24 interposed therebetween. The fire ring 24 has a double taper or bevel from the outer periphery to the periphery of the center opening as illustrated in FIG. 7 in order to provide a space, approximately 1/4&#34; between the diaphragm plate 3 and the refractory 47. The beveled fire ring 24 provides for a seal around the periphery of the bolt 23 and it also serves as a spacer between the diaphragm plate 3 and the refractory 47 thereby allowing sufficient space for the door to flex when adjustments are made to the main frame adjusting arm 39 without adversely affecting the connection between the diaphragm plate 3 and the refractory 47. 
     In the pusher side door, as illustrated in FIGS. 9-12, the same sealing concept is used at the leveler door as with the main door and includes a leveler door frame 13, sealing frame 14, opening handle 15, carrier bar 16, hinge pin 17, diaphragm sealing edge 18, diaphragm leaf spring 19, heat shield 20, trunnion 21 and cam lock 22 as illustrated in FIGS. 9-12. Thus, the diaphragm sealing edge 18 and diaphragm leaf springs 19 are similar to the corresponding structure in the main door. In the leveler door, trunnion adjusting bolts 33 cooperate with the leaf springs 19 to apply tension/pressure on the sealing edge thereby, in effect, utilizing the same sealing concept on the leveler door that is used on the main door. The leveler door heat shield 20, the leveler door trunnion 21 and the leveler door cam lock 22 are substantially the same as the structures illustrated in prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,055. The leveler door lock structure includes a diaphragm bar 25, threaded stud 26, nut 27, handle pin 28, cam lock roller 29, cam lock stop pin 30, frame bolt 31, frame gasket 32, adjusting bolt 33, threaded stud 34, diaphragm plate gasket 35, diaphragm gasket 36, diaphragm bar bolt 37 and main seal gasket 38 as illustrated in FIGS. 9-12 with FIG. 12 illustrating these details which are similar to these components illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,055 except for the sealing edge 18 and springs 19 and related structure. 
     The coke oven door also includes an upper lifting lug 43 and a lower lifting lug 44 as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 as well as a plate 45 having an identifying numerical indicia or other indicia thereon with the locking assembly 46 for the main door being the same as that disclosed in the prior patent. 
     As illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, the diaphragm plate 3 includes a diaphragm bar 9 secured to the diaphragm plate 3 by diaphragm bar bolts 10. A diaphragm leaf spring bar 11 is secured to the bar 9 by diaphragm leaf spring bolts 12. The connection between the diaphragm plate 3 and the refractory 47 is illustrated in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 illustrates the connection between the diaphragm plate 3 and the main frame weldment 4 which includes a main frame attachment stud 5 for the coke side door as illustrated in FIG. 8 and a main frame attachment bolt 6 in the pusher side door as illustrated in FIG. 12. Also, the main frame includes a guide 7 and guide bolt 8 associated therewith as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 11. 
     The door operates in substantially the same manner as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,055 with the improvements to that structure and operation with respect to both the coke side door and pusher side door being described in detail herein and illustrated in the drawings with the structure of the features common to that shown in prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,055 not being described nor illustrated in detail. 
     The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and, accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.