Apparatus for transferring hot coke into a coke quenching car

Associated with a coke quenching car, preferably a one-spot car, is a coke guide that carries a distributor trough. The distributor trough is pivotably mounted so that when the coke guide is racked out to transfer coke into the quenching car, the distributor is positioned to transfer the coke further out into the car and to better distribute the coke in the car.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The invention pertains to coke oven batteries generally and, more 
particularly, to an improvement in apparatus for transferring hot coke 
pushed from a coke oven chamber, with means for more uniformly 
distributing coke, into a one-spot, coke quenching car. 
Heretofore, hot coke that was pushed from a coke oven chamber passed 
through a coke guide and discharged into a coke quenching car that was 
moved by a locomotive as the coke gravitated into it. The coke was, in 
this way, more or less uniformly distributed over the bottom of the car. 
In such installations, there was and is at the present time, a problem in 
coordinating the rate of pushing of the coke from the oven chamber with 
the rate of travel of the quenching car as it catches the coke. 
Recently, there has been proposed a number of new designs of coke quenching 
cars that do not move as coke gravitates into the car, and these new cars 
are termed one-spot, coke quenching cars. 
However, because it is important to minimize the physical dimensions of the 
one-spot, coke quenching car, it has been found that the proposed new 
types of one-spot coke quenching cars have not enough capacity to hold all 
of the coke that is pushed from the taller coke oven chambers being built 
presently. 
Accordingly, it has become necessary to find some novel and unobvious way 
to distribute more hot coke in currently proposed, one-spot, coke 
quenching cars. The present invention uniquely accomplishes this result, 
and the capacity of one-spot, coke quenching cars presently under 
consideration can carry as much as 20 percent more hot coke by using the 
present invention in combination with a conventional coke guide. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Apparatus for transferring hot coke pushed from a coke oven chamber 
includes a conventional coke guide and a pivotable channel-shaped 
distributor trough that coacts with the coke guide to distribute the hot 
coke further out into a coke quenching car. Also, when the distributor 
trough pivots upwardly after pushing is completed, a plow on the trough 
further levels the coke in the quenching car. 
For a further understanding of the invention and for features and 
advantages thereof, reference may be made to the following description and 
the drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of equipment in 
accordance with the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
Referring to FIG. 1, a one-spot, coke quenching car 11 is shown in position 
opposite a chamber of a coke oven battery 13 from which hot coke is to be 
pushed. The one-spot, coke quenching car 11 comprises a frame 15 carried 
on conventional trucks 17 at opposite ends of the frame 15, and a coke 
receiving hopper or receptacle 19 that is pivotally mounted, as at 21, to 
the frame 15. The hopper 19 has a sloping longitudinal side 23 in which 
there are two pivoted elongate coke discharge doors 23a, 23b. Each such 
pivoted door swings about a shaft 25 and is connected at the bottom, as 
shown in FIG. 2, to one end of an arm or lever 27. The arm or lever 27 is 
pivoted to the shaft 25 and the other end of the arm or lever 27 is 
pivotally connected to a link 29 that is pin-connected to a bracket 31 
fixed to the frame 15. 
Thus, when the hopper 19 pivots about the axis of the pivot pins 21, the 
link mechanism 29, 27 automatically pivots the coke discharge doors 23a, 
23b and coke in the hopper 19 discharges therefrom. 
The hopper 19 is fitted at each end with cylinder-piston assemblies 31 that 
are secured at one end to a fixed lug 33 on the frame 15 and to another 
fixed lug 35 on the hopper. Thus, when the cylinder-piston assemblies 31 
are actuated, the hopper 19 pivots about the pivots 21 in a direction away 
from the coke oven battery 13, as shown in phantom outline in FIG. 2. 
The hopper 19 is provided with sliding covers 37, 39 that are each 
cooperative with a pinion gear 41 journaled to structure 43 mounted to the 
frame 15. The covers 37, 39 are provided with rollers (not shown) that 
cooperate with the top edge of the hopper 19 and with the top edge of the 
structure 43. A motor and speed reducer combination 45 is mounted about 
where shown in FIG. 1, and a chain or belt 47 connects the pinion gear 41 
drivingly to the output of the motor and speed reducer combination 45. 
Thus, when the motor and speed reducer combination 45 of each cover 37, 39 
is actuated, the covers are moved away from the hopper 19, allowing the 
coke in the hopper to be quenched and also the hopper to be tilted to 
discharge the quenched coke therefrom. 
The hopper 19, and in particular the slanting side 23, has a fume main 49 
mounted to it and the fume main 49 communicates with the interior of the 
hopper 19 by means of an opening 51 in the side 23. As shown in FIG. 1, 
the fume main 49 cooperates with an end portion of a conduit 51 that is 
supported in a fixed location on structure like 43 on the right-hand end 
of the quenching car 11. The conduit 51 carries gases and particulate 
matter toward and into conventional gas cleaning equipment located on a 
gas-cleaning car (not shown) that is coupled to and serves as the traction 
car for moving the quenching car along rails 53. 
Associated with the coke oven battery 13 in the usual manner is a bench 55 
on which a movable coke guide 57 travels on a carrige 59 engaging rails 
61. The coke guide has a flat, level bottom 58 and is fitted at the front 
end (that is, on the end way from the coke oven chamber, as shown in FIG. 
1) with a two-part, quadrant-type fume hood 63; one part 65 of the hood 63 
is fixed in position on the coke guide, while the other part 67 is 
pivotable about an axis through shafts 69 (FIG. 2). 
The pivotable portion 67 of the hood 63 is provided with lugs 71 to which 
are secured on each side flexible wire ropes 73, or the like, that pass 
over and cooperate with fixed guide sheaves 75, 77, and around sheave 79 
to an anchor 81. The sheave 79 is fixed to one end of a counterweight 83 
that reciprocates in a vertically oriented cylindrical tube 85. 
The pivotable portion 67 of the hood 63 is actuated by a pair of 
fluid-acting, cylinder-piston assemblies 87, 89, with each assembly being 
pivotally supported as at 91, 93 by the structure of the fixed portion of 
the coke guide 57. The piston portion of each assembly has a piston rod 
95, 97 that connects to the pivotal part 67 of the hood 63 to move it. 
Associated with the coke guide 57 is a coke distributor trough 99 (FIGS. 3 
and 4) having a channel-shape that is pivotable about the axis of shafts 
69. The coke distributor trough 99 includes a pair of spaced-apart 
vertical sides 101, 103 that are, preferably, comprised of a plurality of 
spaced apart slats 104, as shown in FIG. 3. The distributor trough 99 has 
a flat bottom 105, formed as a solid plate without openings. The front 
edge of the planar bottom plate 105 is fitted with a vertically depending, 
trapezoidal-shaped plate or plow 107 that connects to two sloping side 
plates 109, 111, each having a trapezoidal shape, as shown in FIG. 3. Each 
of the sloping side plates 109, 111 abuts, but is not fastened to, a 
pivotal tailgate 113 mounted to the planar bottom 105, as shown in FIG. 3. 
The slats 104, comprising cumulatively the vertical sides 101, 103, are 
secured to vertical angle members 115, 117; with the pair of angle members 
117 also supporting the vertical plate or plow 107. The vertical angles 
115, 117 connect to a pair of sloping angle members 119, 121 which are 
provided with bearings 123, 125 in which the shafts 69 are journaled. 
The shafts 69 extend laterally outward from the bearings 123, 125 to other 
bearings 127, 129 in which the shafts 69 are journaled. Adjacent bearings 
127, 129, the shafts 69 are fixed, as by keys, or in any other suitable 
manner, to cranks 131, 133. Each crank 131, 133 is pivotally connected to 
the piston rod portion of the cylinder-piston assemblies 139, 141 which 
are pivotally connected to lugs 143, 145 secured to the coke guide 57. 
As a measure of safety should a malfunction prevent the raising of the 
distributor trough 99 itself, there is provided, where shown in FIGS. 1 
and 2, a slidable bolt 148 that can be actuated manually or by independent 
suitable mechanical or electro-mechanical means, for example, to engage 
with the pivotable portion 67 of the hood 63. So that, when the pivotable 
portion of the hood raises, it will also raise the distributor trough, 
thereby allowing the covers to close on the car, and the car to move to 
the quenching station. 
Now, in operation, the operator of the gas cleaning car, which serves also 
as the traction source for the quenching car 11, spots the one-spot 
quenching car 11 in position at one of the coke oven chambers 147 to 
receive the hot coke pushed from the chamber 147. 
Thereafter, the sliding covers 37, 39 are opened to the catch position, 
which is a position that admits the movable portion 67 of the hood 63 to 
fit between the covers 37, 39. The coke guide 57, having previously been 
spotted at oven chamber 147, is then racked in to make contact with the 
face of the battery. At the same time a suction is created in the duct 51 
to withdraw fumes from the interior of the car 11. 
Next, the distributor trough 99, which assumes the stowed position at 99a 
when not in use shown in dotted outline inside the fixed part 65 of the 
hood 63, is pivoted downward to the operative position shown in solid 
outline in FIG. 2. At this operative position, the planar bottom 105 of 
the distributor trough 99 is level with, and serves as a lateral extension 
of, the flat bottom of the coke guide 58. 
Then, the pivotable part 67 of the hood 63 is lowered from its stowed, 
inoperative position, shown in dotted outline at 67a, to its operative 
position, shown in solid outline, where it covers the opening between the 
movable covers 37. 39. 
At this time a cross-battery interlock, forming no part of the present 
invention, is activated to indicate "ready for push". The pusher machine 
then commences to push coke from the oven chamber. 
The coke first moves through the coke guide in the normal manner, being 
pushed by a conventional pusher ram, and then it moves through the coke 
distributor trough, which acts as an extension of the coke guide, since 
the bottom of the coke guide and the trough are at the same level 
substantially. Because of the further extension of the coke guide, in the 
form of the channel-shaped coke distributor trough, the coke, gravitating 
into the quenching car, builds up rapidly adjacent the outer, slanting 
wall of the car. When the pushing ceases, the line indicating the top of 
the coke appears about as shown at 149 in FIGS. 1 and 2. It is to be noted 
that coke also lies in the coke distributor trough, and it is to be noted 
also, when the coke gravitates into the car, a void 151 is created 
underneath and behind the distributor trough 99. 
Now then, the operator causes the guide extension or distributor trough to 
pivot upwardly; the pusher ram head remaining in position of full 
extension to prevent coke in the guide extension from falling back into 
the coke guide. While pivoting upward, the plate 107, acting as a plow, 
pushes the coke in front of it, further outwardly in the car, toward the 
slanting wall 23. At the same time, the coke resting on the bottom of the 
distributor trough gravitates into and fills, or partly fills, the void 
behind and beneath the distributor trough. 
Thus, the plow portion acts as a leveler of coke in the car in the path of 
the pivoting distributor trough, and the filling of the void space under 
and behind the trough tends to level the coke in the car. 
After the guide extension or distributor trough has pivoted upwardly and 
the coke therein has been discharged therefrom, the coke guide is 
retracted from the face of the oven chamber and the pusher ram is 
retracted also. 
Thereafter, the operator of the door machine causes the pivotable portion 
of the hood to raise, while, at the same time, the operator of the gas 
cleaning car causes the movable covers to close over the hot coke in the 
car. 
All is then ready to allow the coke quenching car to move to a quenching 
station; the coke guide to move to another oven to be pushed; and the door 
machine to replace the door on the oven just pushed. 
From the foregoing description of one embodiment of the invention, those 
skilled in the art should recognize many important features and advantages 
of it, among which the following are particularly significant: 
That use of the distributor trough of the invention results in a large 
percentage increase, amounting to over twenty percent in a typical 
instance, in the amount of coke loaded into a one-spot quenching car of a 
given size; 
That the action of the distributor trough of the invention results in a 
partial leveling of the top of the pile of coke in the quenching car; and 
That, due to the partial leveling of coke in the quenching car, quenching 
of the coke is more efficient and is completed more quickly. 
Although the invention has been described herein with a certain degree of 
particularity it is understood that the present disclosure has been made 
only as an example and that the scope of the invention is defined by what 
is hereinafter claimed.