Tunnel furnace ceiling height monitor

Abstract: A tunnel furnace height detector for detecting ceiling heights of a tunnel furnace comprises a plurality of detecting units (8) arranged on a trolley travelling in the tunnel furnace with their heights progressively lower by predetermined distances. Each of the detecting units comprises a support base (8) and a solid member pivotally connected to the support base automatically retunable from a pivotally moved position caused by an external force to an original position. The member has one end which contacts a lowered ceiling portion and its other end closes and opens a measuring circuit system.

Description: This invention relates to a tunnel furnace height monitor for detecting whether a height of a ceiling of a tunnel furnace lies in a predetermined allowable range. When a tunnel furnace has been operated for a long period of time, a ceiling of the furnace is likely to become lower due to deterioration of a furnace structure. Therefore, the height of the tunnel furnace has been inspected periodically. Such an inspection of the ceiling has been effected after operation of the furnace was shut down and the furnace has cooled completely. In another case, a fiber scope is inserted through a furnace wall into the furnace to observe the lowering of the ceiling of the furnace. For example, there have been cameras utilizing optical fibers as fiber scopes, which are able to observe objects in high temperature atmosphere by cooling the cameras from outside thereof by cooling water. However, the shut down of the operation of the tunnel furnace for periodical inspection of ceiling height unavoidably lowers its production efficiency in continuous operation. On the other hand, the observation of the ceiling height by the use of fiber scopes could not numerically detect the lowering of the ceiling. Moreover, rapid lowering of the ceiling could not be detected by such conventional means, and in worst cases therefore, there was a risk of the ceiling falling resulting in a serious accident. It is an object of the invention to provide an improved tunnel furnace ceiling height monitor which eliminates the disadvantages of the prior art and which is able to detect heights of a ceiling of a tunnel furnace without shutting down operation of the tunnel furnace. The invention is set out in claim 1. Preferably in the invention, when the one end of the member pivotably connected to the support base comes in contact with a lowered ceiling, the member is rotated to open a measuring circuit system to detect the lowering of the ceiling. Detecting units comprising such members and support bases are typically arranged with the upper ends of the members progressively lowering by predetermined small amounts from a height where a member of one detecting unit is slightly out of contact with the ceiling, whereby a lowered ceiling can be detected by the successive opening of the measuring circuit system according to these small amounts. Moreover, the length of the lowered ceiling can be measured by the duration of the opening of the circuit systems and a position of the lowered ceiling can be detected from the movement schedule of a trolley supporting the detecting units. Furthermore, change in ceiling height of the tunnel furnace by aging can be observed by periodically moving the detecting units in the furnace so that a suitable repair can be under-taken before rapid change of the ceiling height. Therefore, there is much reduced risk of accident due to fall of furnace ceiling. In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, embodiments will be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a trolley supporting a tunnel furnace ceiling height monitor and moving in a tunnel furnace; Figs. 2a and 2b are schematic views illustrating a detecting unit of a monitor according to the invention; Fig. 3 is a graph illustrating relations between height of ceiling, temperature and time in detecting operation; Fig. 4a is a side view of one embodiment of a detecting unit of a monitor according to the invention; Fig. 4b is a sectional view taken along the line IVb-IVb in Fig. 4a; Figs. 5a, 5b and 5c are enlarged explanatory views of B portion encircled by a circle in Fig. 4a; Fig. 6 is a schematic view illustrating the operation of the detecting unit according to the invention; and Fig. 7 is a schematic view illustrating detecting a lowered ceiling by means of the monitor including four detecting units according to the invention. Fig. 1 illustrates a jig 4 located on a shelf plate 3 of a trolley 1 moving in a tunnel furnace for detecting heights of a ceiling 2 of the furnace. The tunnel furnace ceiling height monitor comprises detecting units at different heights. A principle of the detector is clear from schematic views of Figs. 2a and 2b. The detecting unit comprises a member 6 which is substantially triangular in side view and rotatable about a pivotal shaft 5. One end a of the member 6 does not contact a ceiling 2 having an allowable height, but contacts a ceiling 2′ which has somewhat lowered due to deterioration of the furnace. On the other hand, the other end b of the member 6 serves as a contact for connecting and disconnecting a measuring circuit system 7 forming a closed circuit. With the measuring circuit system 7, when the end a of the member 6 contacts the lowered ceiling 2′, the other end b of the member 6 opens the closed circuit to obstruct flow of electric current in the circuit. In contrast herewith, when the end a of the member 6 does not contact the ceiling, the other end b closes the measuring circuit system 7. In general, however, a tunnel furnace has ceilings different in height dependent upon heating temperature zones. Therefore, it is necessary to have detecting units different in height. In an embodiment shown in Figs. 2a and 2b, the measuring circuit system 7 comprises a thermocouple made of two different metals. These metals are brought into contact with each other in the proximity of the other end b of the member 6, so that temperatures in the furnace can be measured when the metals contact each other. This condition is shown in Fig. 3. As can be seen from Fig. 3, a length of the lowered ceiling 2′ can be detected by the time during disconnection of the circuit and moving speed of the trolley. A particular construction of the detecting unit by way of example will be explained by referring to Figs. 4a and 4b. As shown in Fig. 4a, the member 6 is integrally fixed to the pivotal shaft 5 which is rotatably supported by a support base 8. The support base 8 is formed with a deep slit 9 which enables the member 6 to be rotated therein (Fig. 4b). In this case, the center of gravity of the member 6 is positioned below the pivotal shaft 5 so that when the member 6 is out of contact with the lowered ceiling 2′, the member 6 can pivotally return from its inclined position to its original position. A contact plate 10 is provided at the other end b of the member 6 and adapted to be in contact with the other end b. The contact plate 10 has a center of gravity on a side of a contact end c with the other end b of the solid piece 6. Therefore, when the contact plate 10 is rotated about the other end d of the contact plate 10 opposite to the end c, a biassing force always acts upon the contact end c of the contact plate 10 so as to maintain the contact between the contact end c and the end b of the member 6. Materials for the pivotal shaft 5, the member 6 and the contacting plate 10 are preferably those mixed with a mullite, alumina or zirconia type material which is superior in heat- and wear-resistance. A material for the support base 8 may be a material mixed with a mullite, alumina or zirconia type material or may be cordierite type material because the support base 8 is not required to be wear-resistant. Moreover, the support base 8 may be hollow or a honeycomb-shaped member. Mounting of the measuring circuit system 7 will be explained by referring to partially enlarged drawings of Figs. 5a-5c. A tantalum elementary wire 11 of, for example, tantalum-chromel thermocouple is wound about a part 14 formed in the contact plate 10 by forming two slits 12 and 12′ of a predetermined distance with a predetermined spaced distance in directions of short sides of the contact plate 10 at a location where the plate 10 contacts the support base 8. On the other hand, a chromel elementary wire 15 is wound about a part 16 of the support base 8 in contact with the part 14 through slits 13 provided about the part 16. These wires 11 and 15 are in contact with each other to form the closed circuit of the measuring circuit system 7. In order to permit the rotating operation of the contact plate 10, these wires 11 and 15 are wound about the parts 14 and 16. The chromel wire 15 may be wound about the part 14, while the tantalum wire may be wound about the part 16. The operation of the member 6 and the contact plate 10 will be explained by referring to Fig. 6. When the one end a of the member 6 contacts the lowered ceiling 2′, the member 6 is rotated about the pivotal shaft 5 in a counterclockwise direction viewed in Fig. 6 and the contact plate 10 in contact with the other end b of the solid piece 6 is rotated about the other end d thereof. Therefore, the tantalum and chromel wires 11 and 15 come out of contact with each other owing to the rotation of the contact plate 10 so that the measuring circuit system 7 is opened to stop the temperature measurement. When the member 6 is released from the contact with the lowered ceiling 2′, the member 6 is rotated in the clockwise direction to its original position, while the contact plate 10 in contact with the other end b of the member 6 is rotated about its end d in the counterclockwise direction. As a result, the tantalum and chromel wires 11 and 15 are again brought into contact with each other to close the measuring circuit system 7 so that the temperature measurement is again started. In actual detecting operation, for example, four detecting units as above described are arranged on a jig 4 as shown in Fig. 7. The detecting units 17a-17d are different in height from bottoms of the support bases to upper ends of the members 6 in normal positions. Therefore, the respective detecting units open their measuring circuit systems dependent upon lowered condition of ceilings immediately above the units. In Fig. 7, the detecting units 17a and 17b open their circuits, while the units 17c and 17d close their circuits. In the event that the detecting units 17a-17d are different in height by a distance Δx, respectively, it can be detected in Fig. 7 that the lowered distance h of the ceiling is between Δx and 2·Δx or Δx<h<2·x. In this embodiment, the four detecting units are used. However, it is preferable that the difference in height Δx is smaller and the number of the units is increased, in order to measure lowered distances of a ceiling more exactly. It will of course be understood that various changes and modifications may be made. For example, instead of that the measuring circuit system is opened by the contact of the member of the unit with a ceiling, the circuit system may be closed when the contact between the member and the ceiling takes place. In this case, a heat-resistant elastic metal piece arranged on the jig 4 is brought into contact with a continuous conductive wire arranged on a ceiling to close a measuring circuit system of each of detecting units. As can be seen from the above explanation of this embodiment of the invention, when one end of a member rotatably supported by a support base become in contact with a lowered ceiling, the member is rotated to open the measuring circuit system to detect the lowering of the ceiling. Detecting units for detecting the lowering of the ceiling in such a manner are so arranged that they are different in height progressively lower by a predetermined amount. According to the invention, a lowered state of a ceiling or inspection of ceiling height of a tunnel furnace can be performed without shutting down operation of the furnace. Moreover, positions and lengths of lowered ceiling portions can be detected with the aid of the movement schedule of trolley supporting detecting units and positions and time of opened measuring circuit systems. Furthermore, by periodically moving in a furnace a trolley supporting the detecting units, change in ceiling height due to aging can be detected. Therefore, the tunnel furnace can be operated in safety with high efficiency.

Claims: 1. A tunnel furnace ceiling height monitor, comprising a plurality of detecting units (6, 8) arranged on a carrier for travelling in a tunnel furnace for detecting respectively different ceiling heights thereof, each of said detecting units comprising a support base (8) and a member (6) pivotally connected to the support base and adapted to be biassed into a rest position from which in use it is pivotally moved by contact of an end thereof with a lowered ceiling portion as the carrier moves along the tunnel furnace, pivoting of the member from said rest position actuating a circuit (7) to indicate contact of the member with the ceiling. 2. A tunnel furnace ceiling height monitor as set forth in claim 1, wherein said member (6) is pivotally connected to said support base (8) at a position above the center of gravity of the member, whereby the member is biassed into said rest position by gravity. 3. A tunnel furnace ceiling height monitor as set forth in claim 1 or 2, wherein said detecting unit is provided with a pivotable contact plate (10) having one end to be contacted by said pivoting member (6) when pivoted from said rest position, and the center of gravity of the contacting plate is located between said end of the plate and the pivot axis thereof. 4. A tunnel furnace ceiling height monitor as set forth in claim 3, wherein at least one of said member (6), said contact plate (10) and a pivot shaft supporting said member (6) on said support base (8) is made at least partly of at least one material selected from mullite, alumina and zirconia type materials. 5. A tunnel furnace ceiling height monitor as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said support base (8 ) is made at least partly of at least one material selected from mullite, alumina, zirconia and cordierite type materials. 6. A tunnel furnace ceiling height monitor as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said measuring circuit system includes a thermocouple for measuring temperatures in the tunnel furnace. 7. A tunnel furnace ceiling height monitor as set forth in claim 6, wherein said detecting unit is provided with a contact plate (10) having one end to be contacted by said pivoting member (6) when pivoted from said rest position, and one wire (11) of said thermocouple is wound about a part located in the contact plate (10) between two slits (12, 12′) therein, and the other wire (15) is wound about a part of the support base located between two slits (13) therein.

Inventors: KAMIJYO, TETSUO, MIYAHARA, KAZUHIRO 201 NGK MINAMI-KAZOKU APARTMENT, YASUDA, KEIJI 278 AZA-FUSODAI
Applicants: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
Application year: 1989
Main classification: G01B5
IPC codes: F27B9, F27D3, G01B5, F27D21