Patent GB-806752-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to charging devices for shaft furnaces or the like
Inventor: CRUSE GEORGE HENRY IRONS
IPC: F23K3/06
Filed: 1956-04-03
Abstract: 806,752. Charging shaft furnaces. POWER-GAS CORPORATION Ltd. March 20, 1957 [April 3, 1956], No. 10085/56. Class 51 (2). Apparatus for charging a shaft furnace working under pressure, e.g. a gas producer, comprises an outer container 11 discharging into the producer 10 by a bell valve 13 and formed with an annular trough 17 filled with water or other sealing liquid, an inner container 14 discharged by a bell valve 16 and having a skirt 18 engaging the trough 17, and a superposed hopper 22 provided with a segmental gate valve 23 controlling the feed from a bunker 24. A segmental gate valve 25 in two sections 39, 40 controls the passage from the hopper 22 to the inner container 14. Sequential operation of the valves 13, 16, 23 and 25 and vertical movements of the inner container 14 are controlled through linkage described below from cams 45, 51, 53 and 57, Fig. 7, on a shaft 44 driven by a motor 58 through reduction gearing 59 under control of a level-indicating electrode 64 in the producer 10. If the fuel level in the latter drops below another electrode 65 an audible or visual signal is given. Bell valve 13 is operated by a lever 29 connected through linkage to a lever 47 carrying a cam follower 46 engaging cam 45. Similarly, an operating lever 33 actuates bell valve 16 through linkage operated by cam 51, and an operating lever 41 actuates segmental valve 25 through linkage incorporating a crank 55 and operated by cam 57, the closing action being provided by a counterweight 42. A counterweighted operating lever 34 is associated with a semi-circular lever 35 engaging pins attached to inner container 14 and passing through slots 36 in the apparatus casing, and said lever also operates segmental valve 23 through link 38 and lever 37. Lever 34 is thus urged upwardly by its counterweight 52 and is otherwise operated by cam 53. With the apparatus in the position shown in Fig. 1, a load of fuel 60 rests on bell valve 16 and a further load 61 on bell valve 13. Rotation of cam shaft 44 causes the cams to effect the following sequence of charging operations: bell valve 13 opens discharging load 61 into the producer, and simultaneously segmental valve 25 closes, segmental valve 23 commences to open, and the inner container 14 with its bell valve 16 moves downwardly. As the inner container reaches its lowermost position, Fig. 3, bell valve 13 closes and hopper 22 receives the next charge 63 from the bunker 24. The inner container next commences to rise and segmental valve 23 to close. During upward movement of the inner container, bell valve 16 stops, discharging load 60 on to bell valve 16, and closing of valve 23 is completed. After the inner container reaches its upper position, bell valve 16 is closed on to it. Finally, segmental valve 25 opens allowing the next charge to fall into the inner container, thus completing the charging cycle. The above sequence of operations, particularly the lowering of the inner container when bell valve 13 is open, substantially eliminates escape of gas from the producer. In a modification, Fig. 8, bunker 24 communicates directly with inner container 14 through a manually-operated segmental valve 74 and a shoot 21. Valves 23 and 25 being omitted, only three cams are necessary to control the charging operations, and the cam shaft 75 is rotated by a crank handle 79 through worm transmission 80. The water seal is replaced by a rubber sealing member 73 clamped between a flanged tubular member 72 and a transverse member 70, said sealing member pressing against the casing 17.