Tundish exchange apparatus for a continuous casting equipment

Two tundish cars, each detachably carrying a tundish, are supported on continuous circular rails for movement between a pouring position and a standby position spaced along the rails from a pouring position and provided with guide rails mounted above the circular rails and extending radially outwardly therefrom to a slag discharge position and to tundish reconditioning apparatus, both spaced radially outwardly of the circular rails. A shuttle truck moveable along the guide rails and provided with a hoist, lifts a tundish from its car in the standby position, transports the lifted tundish to the slag discharge position, to the reconditioning apparatus, and returns the emptied, reconditioned tundish to its car.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a tundish exchange apparatus for a 
continuous casting equipment for receiving molten steel from a ladle into 
a tundish and supplying it to a mold. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
A pouring position is a position where the molten steel is poured into a 
tundish and is allowed to flow therefrom to a mold. It is most common to 
interpose the pouring position between two stand-by positions in such a 
manner that these three positions lie on a straight course. Two tundish 
cars movable along a traveling rail are provided so that, for example, a 
tundish car is moved from one side toward the pouring position, molten 
steel is received into a tundish from a ladle, and the molten steel is 
poured into a mold through a sliding nozzle. After the pouring work ends, 
the tundish car is returned toward the stand-by position and then another 
tundish car on the other side is moved to the pouring position for 
working. At the stand-by positions are disposed residual steel and slag 
discharge apparatus, sliding nozzle exchange apparatus, and preheating 
apparatus for the tundishes respectively, so that residual steel and slag 
in the tundishes are discharged therefrom to repair inner walls thereof 
and each sliding nozzle is exchanged and the tundishes are preheated. 
In such construction, the residual steel and slag discharge apparatus is 
required for the respective stand-by positions, thereby creating the 
problem in that the cost of equipment becomes high. 
In addition, since the work of draining the residual steel and slag from a 
tundish is done in the stand-by positions, there is always a possibility 
that the residual steel and slag spilled on the track may obstruct the 
passage of tundish cars. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a tundish 
exchange apparatus by which the work of draining the residual steel and 
slag from a tundish can be done in a position radially departing from the 
turning circle of the tundish. 
This object is accomplished by providing a tundish exchange apparatus 
comprising: 
two tundishes adapted to move along one and the same turning circle; 
a casting station disposed in one position along said turning circle and 
provided with a casting mold; 
an elevated support beam extending radially outwardly from, and in another 
position along, said turning circle; 
two parallel guide rails laid on said support beam; 
a truck adapted to run on said guide rails; and means for hoisting one of 
said two tundishes from said turning circle so as to allow said one 
tundish to be held on an underside of said truck, moved radially outwardly 
from said turning circle to a position allotted for doing the work of 
draining the residual steel and slag from a tundish, returned to a 
position over said turning circle when the residual steel and slag have 
been drained, and lowered to said turning circle. 
The present invention serves to eliminate the possibility that the residual 
steel and slag may be spilled on the track and may throw impediments in 
the way of tundish cars. 
The present invention permits the uninterrupted operation of a continuous 
casting apparatus even when the work of draining the residual steel and 
slag from a tundish is prolonged in the position allotted for doing that 
work, because a new tundish can be placed on the turning circle in place 
of one which has been hoisted from the turning circle and moved to the 
position allotted for doing the above-mentioned work. 
The above and further objects and novel features of the invention will 
fully appear from the following detailed description when the same is read 
in connection with the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
A comparison of the present invention with the prior art will help make the 
features of the former conspicuous. 
In case of the prior art apparatus shown in FIG. 7, a pouring position (a) 
is interposed between two stand-by positions (b) and (c) in such a manner 
that these three positions lie on a straight course. Two tundish cars 5 
movable on traveling rails 4 are provided, so that, for example, the 
tundish car 5 is moved from the right side in the drawing toward the 
molten steel pouring position (a), molten steel is received into a tundish 
6 from the ladle 3, and the molten steel is poured into a mole 2 through 
sliding nozzles. After the pouring work ends, the tundish car 5 is 
returned toward the stand-by position (b) and then the car 5 at the left 
side is moved to the pouring position (a) for working. At the stand-by 
positions (b) and (c) are disposed residual steel and slag discharge 
apparatus, sliding nozzle exchange apparatus, and preheating apparatus for 
the tundishes 6 and 7 respectively, so that residual steel and slag in the 
tundishes 6 and 7 are discharged therefrom to repair inner walls thereof 
and each sliding nozzle is exchanged and the tundishes 6 and 7 and 
preheated. 
Next, a fist embodiment of a tundish exchange apparatus of the present 
invention will be explained in accordance with FIGS. 1 through 4. 
As shown in FIG. 1, a pair of inside and outside circular traveling rails 
12 are disposed on a wording floor 11, and on the rails 12 are movably 
guided first and second tundish cars 13 and 14. Tundishes 15 are 
detachably loaded on the first and second tundish cars 13 and 14 
respectively and are movable in the direction of the arrow A between the 
molten steel pouring position (d) and the stand-by position (e) of tundish 
15 symmetrical with the position (d) on the traveling rails 12 (a circular 
route 16). Ladles 17 disposed above the pouring position (d) and stand-by 
position (e) are alternately used by a turret (not shown) revolvable 
coaxially with the traveling rails 12. 
At the stand-by position (e) or between the stand-by position (e) and the 
pouring position (d), for example, at the position as shown by the two-dot 
chain line in FIG. 1, one tundish 15 is prepoured therein with molten 
steel and, when the pouring into the mold 20 from the other tundish 15 is 
finished, the other tundish 15 is immediately moved in the direction of 
the arrow A and thereafter the one tundish 15 is moved toward the pouring 
position (d) and simultaneously therewith the pouring into the mold 20 is 
adapted to enable the pouring to start. Thus, when such operation is 
compared with the conventional operation that, just after an empty tundish 
15 reaches the pouring position (d), the ladle 17 provided thereat pours 
the molten steel into the tundish 15, a working time can be reduced to 
that extent. 
Referring to FIG. 2, the first and second tundish cars 13 and 14 each have 
traveling wheels 18 guided on the traveling rails 12, and support jacks 19 
are upwardly disposed at four front, back, leftward and rightward 
positions, thereby supporting the tundish 15 vertically movably from 
below. The tundish 15 is approximately rectangular, extending tangentially 
of the traveling rails 12 when viewed in plane, is provided at the bottom 
with a pair of left and right sliding nozzles 21 corresponding to the mold 
20 and has an overflow weir 22 extending inwardly from the central portion 
and being open. In addition, reference numeral 23 designates the forward 
moving direction of a strand from the mold 20. At both lateral ends are 
projecting hanging shafts 24 regular-octagonal in section. The hanging 
shafts 24, when viewed radially of the traveling rail 12, are disposed 
outwardly of the center G of gravity (in FIG. 3) of tundish 15 with 
respect to the rails 12. 
At the stand-by position (e) are disposed a residual steel and slag 
discharge apparatus 25, a sliding nozzle exchange apparatus 26 and a 
repair and preheating apparatus 27. At the residual steel and slag 
discharge apparatus 25, as shown in FIG. 3, a pair of left and right guide 
rails 28 extending radially outwardly of the traveling rails 12 from above 
the stand-by position (e) are disposed on a support beam 29, a 
self-traveling system slanted turntable truck 30 being movably disposed on 
the guide rails 28. At the same slant turntable truck 30 are vertically 
movably provided a pair of left and right hangers 31 for engaging or 
disengaging therewith or therefrom the hanging shafts 24 of tundish 15. At 
the hangers 31, as shown in FIG. 4, a retainer 33 of a hook 32 open at the 
stand-by position (e) is angularly formed corresponding to the hanging 
shaft 24 and a fixing pin 34 for pressing the upper surface of hanging 
shaft 24 is provided at the upper portion of the retainer 33 and is 
advanced or retracted by an engaging or disengaging cylinder 35. Also, at 
the slant turntable truck 30 is provided an attitude return apparatus for 
returning the tundish 15 from its vertical to horizontal attitude, the 
attitude return apparatus is not shown, but the tundish 15 is hooked to be 
lifted by a winch for rotation. 
Accordingly, for example, the slant turntable truck 30 is moved to the 
stand-by position (e) where the second tundish car 15 reaches, each hook 
32 is engaged with one hanging shaft 24, the engaging or disengaging 
cylinder 35 allows the fixing pin 34 to project to press the upper surface 
of hanging shaft 24, the tundish 15 is lifted in the horizontal attitude 
while preventing the tundish 15 from rotation so as to be carried to the 
residual slag discharge position (f) and retract the fixing pin 34, 
whereby the tundish 15 is turned by an angle of 90.degree. from its 
horizontal attitude to the vertical attitude so as to enable the slag to 
be discharged from the overflow weir 22 (in FIG. 2) to a slag discharge 
pot 36. 
On the working floor 11 in the vicinity of the slag discharge position (f) 
are disposed the sliding nozzle exchange apparatus 26 and a repair and 
preheating apparatus 27 having a dry preheating nozzle, by which the inner 
wall of tundish 15 is repaired after the residual steel and slag are 
discharged, the sliding nozzles 21 (in FIG. 2) are exchanged, and the 
tundish 15 is preheated to be ready for the next use. 
The tundish 15 after the preheating is restored from its vertical attitude 
to the horizontal and the slant turntable truck 30 is moved from the steel 
and slag discharge position to the stand-by position so as to be reloaded 
on the second tundish car 14. 
The second tundish car 14, when an exchange period nears, is premoved to 
the vicinity of the molten steel pouring position (d) shown by the phantom 
line in FIG. 1, whereby the tundish can rapidly be exchanged so as to 
demonstrate the effect on the continuous casting of the different kind of 
steel. 
Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, a second embodiment of the tundish exchange 
apparatus for the continuous casting apparatus of the invention is shown, 
which is so constructed that two first and second whirling arms 41 and 42 
detachably loading at their utmost ends the tundishes 15 are disposed 
revolvably around the same vertical axis 43, the molten steel pouring 
station (g) provided with a mold is provided at the predetermined position 
on a whirling route 40 through which the tundish 15 moves, and the 
stand-by station (h) provided with a residual steel and slag discharge 
apparatus is positioned symmetrically with the pouring station (g) with 
respect to the vertical axis. 
In other words, a ring-like-shaped pedestal 45 is disposed around a 
vertical support pole 44 erected on a working floor 11, and on the 
pedestal 45 are rotatably supported the roots of the first and second 
whirling arms 41 and 42 through bearings 46 and 47 respectively. At the 
root of the second whirling arm 42 is formed a ring-like-shaped space 48 
around the vertical support pole 44, and a second ring gear 49 is mounted 
at the bottom of the outer periphery of the space 48. A second driving 
gear 52 engageable with the second ring gear 49 is mounted to a second 
driving shaft 51 which is vertically provided between the vertical support 
pole 44 and the pedestal 45 and is supported by the vertical support pole 
44 through a bearing 50, so that the second whirling arm 42 is whirled by 
a second whirling motor 53 connected to the second driving shaft 51. On 
the other hand, a first ring gear 54 is mounted at the bottom of the root 
of the first whirling arm 41, a first driving gear 57 engageable with the 
first ring gear 54 is mounted to a first driving shaft 56 which is 
vertically provided between the vertical support pole 44 and the pedestal 
45 is supported by the vertical pole 44 through a bearing 55 in the space 
48, so that the first whirling arm 41 is whirled by a first whirling motor 
58 connected to the first driving shaft 56. In addition, at the upper 
portion of the vertical support pole 44 are disposed rotary joints 59 for 
supplying a drive source or the like to the respective tundishes 15. 
At the steel and slag discharge position are provided, not shown but as 
well-known in the art, the residual steel and slag discharge apparatus 
which discharges the residual steel and slag while loading the tundishes 
15 on the whirling arms 41 and 42 or hanging them to be slanted, and their 
apparatus and preheating apparatus for the tundish. 
As seen from the above, the tundish exchange apparatus of the present 
invention can move the tundishes on the endless route or the whirling 
route by the tundish cars or the whirling arms, whereby one stand-by 
position only is needed so as to enable the cost of equipment to be 
reduced by half in comparison with the conventional apparatus. Moreover, 
the tundish after discharging therefrom the residual steel and slag and 
being repaired and preheated, when near the tundish exchange, stands by in 
the vicinity of the molten steel pouring position by moving the tundish 
car or by whirling the whirling arm, whereby the tundish can quickly be 
exchanged so as to be effective in the continuous casting of different 
kinds of steel. 
Although several embodiments have been described, they are merely exemplary 
of the invention and not to be constructed as limiting, the invention 
being defined solely by the appended claims.