Elevated swinging device for placing slag retention devices in tapping converters

A swinging device pivotally suspended from an overhead support adjacent a tapping converter telescopically positions a boom for relative vertical tilting and swinging motion toward and away from said converter on an arcuate path on a vertical plane. The boom supports a boom extension and jaws on the boom extension releaseably hold a slag retaining device so that the same can be moved into the converter and positioned in the tap hole thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Technical Field 
This invention relates to an elevated device for accurately and forcibly 
positioning a slag retaining closure or dart in a tapping converter during 
the tapping of steel therefrom. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Prior structures of this type are best represented by the disclosures of 
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,459,209 and 4,431,169 in which closures are positioned in 
converters by arms adjustably and movably mounted adjacent the converters 
and which releaseably hold the closures. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The presesnt invention utilizes a two-part extensible boom similar to the 
arms of the prior art patents and provides a swingable device pivoted to 
an overhead support for telescopically holding the boom and means for 
moving the device in an arcuate path on a vertical plane and in tilting 
relation to the overhead support. The device enables the operator to 
easily and quickly position a slag retaining closure or dart in the tap 
hole of the converter where it prevents slag on the top of the molten 
steel from entering the tap hole when the steel has substantially drained 
therethrough.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
By referring to the FIGURE of the drawings, the invention can be seen 
wherein a tubular device 33 is pivotally secured to the lower end of a 
swingable support member 34 that is pivotally secured at its upper end to 
a suitable overhead structure 35 adjacent a tapping converter 50 and above 
an operating floor 49. A piston and cylinder assembly 36 is pivotally 
attached by a pivot bracket 37 to the swingable support member 34 and to 
the tubular device 33 by a pivot bracket 38 so that actuation of the 
piston and cylinder assembly 36 as from a remote control point will tilt 
the tubular device 33 relative to the lower end of the swingable support 
member 34. 
A secondary piston and cylinder assembly 39 is pivotally attached to a 
pivot bracket 40 on the overhead structure 35 and to a pivot bracket 41 on 
the swingable support member 34 so that the swingable support member 34 is 
movable in an arcuate path on a vertical plane toward and away from the 
converter 50 from the position shown in solid lines in the drawing to the 
alternate positions shown in broken lines in the drawing. 
A boom 42 extends through and is held by the tubular device 33 on the lower 
end of the swingable support member 34 and an air motor drive mechanism 43 
is positioned on one end of the tubular device 33 and arranged to drive a 
pinion gear 44 which is engaged on a gear rack 45 secured to the lower 
portion of the boom 42. A replaceable boom portion 46 has jaws 47 in the 
outermost end thereof which are actuated by a device for imparting 
movement thereto, which device is mounted in the tubular device 33 and 
remotely controlled. 
The jaws 47 are adapted to releaseably engage a slag retaining closure or 
dart 48. 
In operation, the support member 34 can be moved in a swinging motion in an 
arcuate path based on a pivotal attachment to the overhead structure 35 so 
that the tubular device 33 moves toward and away from the converter 50 and 
to an elevated position substantially above the operating floor 49 in 
front of the converter 50. It will be seen that the boom 42 can be 
extended and retracted relative to the tubular device 33 and the swingable 
support member 34 by rotation of the pinion gear 44 relative to the rack 
45. The swingable support member 34 is moved by the secondary piston and 
cylinder assembly 39 and the tubular device 33 moved by the piston and 
cylinder assembly 36 from the position shown in unbroken lines in the 
drawing to the optional position shown in broken lines in the drawing. 
It will thus be seen that movement of the several parts of the apparatus 
will position the tubular device 33 and the boom 42 in position A shown in 
broken lines well above the operating floor 49 opposite the converter 50 
so that it will not interfere with the operator's activities on the 
operating floor 49. 
It will be appreciated that the device of the invention is important to the 
steel making industry in supplying the demand for slag-free steel which 
necessitates blocking the flow of slag from a steel producing furnace or 
converter when most of the molten steel has been removed and the layer of 
slag which normally floats on the steel is approaching the tap hole.