Patent Publication Number: US-8539977-B2

Title: Slide valve apparatus for automatic application of surface pressure and surface pressure application method thereof

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a slide valve device for automatic surface pressure application, and to a surface pressure application method therefor. In particular, the present invention relates to a novel improvement for simplifying work of surface pressure application in a slide valve device constructed of a fixed plate, a slide plate, and a seal plate. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     In general, in continuous casting facilities, as means for controlling outflow of a molten metal from a molten metal vessel, a slide valve device for opening and closing an outflow port of the molten metal vessel is provided at a bottom portion of the molten metal vessel. 
     As the slide valve device, the applicant of the present invention has invented and developed a slide valve device constructed of a fixed plate, a slide plate, and a seal plate (Patent Literature 1). 
     Specifically, as illustrated in  FIGS. 14 and 15 , a slide valve device  20  disclosed in Patent Literature 1 includes a base frame  2  for fixing a fixed plate  3 , the base frame  2  being fixed to a bottom lower surface  1   a  of a molten metal vessel  1 , a slide case  4  including a slide plate  5 , the slide case  4  being positioned below the fixed plate  3 , a seal case  21  including a seal plate  6  or including a seal plate  6  and a shooting nozzle  21   a , the seal case  21  being positioned below the slide plate  5 , and an actuator  7  for sliding the slide case  4 . In the slide valve device  20 , the slide case  4  and the seal case  21  are coupled to each other by coupling means  23 , and the slide case  4  and the seal case  21  are integrally slid so that a surface pressure is appliable and releasable. 
     Further, as illustrated in  FIG. 17 , the slide valve device  20  includes a rotatable stopper  52  for fixing the seal case  21  situated at an arrangement location so that the seal case  21  is not moved. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 16 , in a state in which the surface pressure is applied, the seal plate  6  is biased upward by the seal case  21  including rollers (movable members)  14  slidable on support surfaces  13  situated at side portions of the base frame including springs  12 . Accordingly, the fixed plate  3 , the slide plate  5 , and the seal plate  6  are brought into press contact with each other with a predetermined pressing force. As a result, leakage of a molten metal and intrusion of air through nozzle holes  3   a ,  5   a , and  6   a  of the respective plates  3 ,  5 , and  6  may be prevented. 
     CITATION LIST 
     Patent Literature 
     [PTL 1] JP 2007-326120 A 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     Technical Problem 
     The slide valve device disclosed in Patent Literature 1 (hereinafter, referred to as “device of Patent Literature 1”) is structured as described above, and hence the following problem is inherent therein. 
     That is, in the device of Patent Literature 1, when the surface pressure is applied and released, the slide case  4  and the seal case  21  need to be coupled to each other using a connecting pin serving as the coupling means  23 . Therefore, the structure of the device becomes complicated and the work involved becomes cumbersome. Further, in order to rotate the stopper  52 , a certain size of clearance is necessary, but due to this clearance, the seal case may move in a little gap during the casting. 
     Solution to Problem 
     The present invention provides a slide valve device for automatic surface pressure application, including: a fixed plate fixed inside a base frame that is mounted onto a bottom lower surface of a molten metal vessel; a slide case including a slide plate, the slide case being provided below the fixed plate so as to be slidable by an actuator; a seal case provided below the slide case, the seal case including a seal plate or including a seal plate and a shooting nozzle; and a movable member provided to each side portion of the seal case so as to be movable on a support surface situated at each side portion of the base frame, the slide case and the seal case being slidable by the actuator so that a surface pressure is appliable and releasable, in which the base frame includes: a positioning member for determining an arrangement location of the seal case; and a stopper for fixing the seal case at the arrangement location, and in which the slide case or a guide piece includes a pusher for sliding the seal case together with the slide case when sliding the slide case in a surface pressure application direction. Further, the positioning member and the stopper are arranged so as to sandwich the seal case with respect to a sliding direction of the slide case. Further, a contact portion of the positioning member with respect to the seal case forms a pressing portion having elasticity. Further, the present invention provides a surface pressure application method for a slide valve device for automatic surface pressure application, the slide valve device for automatic surface pressure application including: a fixed plate fixed inside a base frame that is mounted onto a bottom lower surface of a molten metal vessel; a slide case including a slide plate, the slide case being provided below the fixed plate so as to be slidable by an actuator; a seal case provided below the slide case, the seal case including a seal plate or including a seal plate and a shooting nozzle; and a movable member provided to each side portion of the seal case so as to be movable on a support surface situated at each side portion of the base frame, the slide case and the seal case being slidable by the actuator so that a surface pressure is appliable and releasable, the base frame of the slide valve device for automatic surface pressure application including: a positioning member for determining an arrangement location of the seal case; and a stopper for fixing the seal case at the arrangement location, the guide piece or a slide case of the slide valve device for automatic surface pressure application including a pusher provided for pushing or drawing the seal case, the surface pressure application method including: sliding the slide case in a surface pressure application direction to move the seal case to the arrangement location together with the slide case through the intermediation of the pusher; and fitting the stopper to the seal case that has been moved to the arrangement location to fix the seal case at the arrangement location. 
     Advantageous Effects of Invention 
     The slide valve device for automatic surface pressure application and the surface pressure application method therefor according to the present invention are structured and configured as described above, and hence the following effects can be obtained. 
     That is, in the slide valve device for automatic surface pressure application, including: the fixed plate fixed inside the base frame that is mounted onto the bottom lower surface of the molten metal vessel; the slide case including the slide plate, the slide case being provided below the fixed plate so as to be slidable by the actuator; the seal case provided below the slide case, the seal case including the seal plate or including the seal plate and the shooting nozzle; and the movable member provided to the each side portion of the seal case so as to be movable on the support surface situated at the each side portion of the base frame, the slide case and the seal case being slidable by the actuator so that the surface pressure is appliable and releasable, the base frame includes: the positioning member for determining the arrangement location of the seal case; and the stopper for fixing the seal case at the arrangement location, and the slide case or a guide piece includes the pusher for sliding the seal case together with the slide case when sliding the slide case in the surface pressure application direction. 
     Further, the positioning member and the stopper are arranged so as to sandwich the seal case with respect to the sliding direction of the slide case. Further, the contact portion of the positioning member with respect to the seal case forms the pressing portion having elasticity. Further, in the surface pressure application method for the slide valve device for automatic surface pressure application, the slide valve device for automatic surface pressure application including: the fixed plate fixed inside the base frame that is mounted onto the bottom lower surface of the molten metal vessel; the slide case including the slide plate, the slide case being provided below the fixed plate so as to be slidable by the actuator; the seal case provided below the slide case, the seal case including the seal plate or including the seal plate and the shooting nozzle; and the movable member provided to the each side portion of the seal case so as to be movable on the support surface situated at the each side portion of the base frame, the slide case and the seal case being slidable by the actuator so that the surface pressure is appliable and releasable, the base frame of the slide valve device for automatic surface pressure application including: the positioning member for determining the arrangement location of the seal case; and the stopper for fixing the seal case at the arrangement location, the slide case or the guide piece of the slide valve device for automatic surface pressure application including the pusher provided for pushing or drawing the seal case, by sliding the slide case in the surface pressure application direction, the seal case can be moved to the arrangement location together with the slide case through the intermediation of the pusher, and by fitting the stopper to the seal case that has been moved to the arrangement location, the seal case can be fixed at the arrangement location. The seal case can be pushed by the pusher, and hence, unlike the conventional case, the work of applying and releasing the surface pressure can be performed without coupling the slide case and the seal case to each other by the coupling means. Further, the seal case is pushed by the pusher until the seal case reaches the positioning member, and hence the seal case can be moved to the arrangement location with high accuracy. Further, the positioning member is provided opposite to the stopper with respect to the sliding direction, and hence the seal case can be fixed at the arrangement location by the positioning member and the stopper so that the seal case is not moved during operation. Further, when the contact portion of the positioning member with respect to the seal case is the pressing portion having elasticity, due to deformation of the pressing portion as an elastic member, a clearance, that is, a backlash, which is necessary to move the stopper, can be ensured. In addition, due to an elastic force of the pressing portion as an elastic member, the seal case is pressed against the stopper, and as a result, it is possible to prevent the seal case from moving during operation due to the clearance. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  sectional view of a slide valve device for automatic surface pressure application according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  A bottom view of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  A sectional view illustrating a fully closed state of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  A bottom view of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  A sectional view taken in the arrow A direction of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  A sectional view taken in the arrow B direction of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 7  A sectional view illustrating a stopper operation of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 8  A bottom view of  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 9  An enlarged view of a main part of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 10  A sectional view illustrating another embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 11  A bottom view of  FIG. 10 . 
         FIG. 12  An operational view of  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 13  An operational view of  FIG. 12 . 
         FIG. 14  A sectional view of a conventional slide valve device for automatic surface pressure application. 
         FIG. 15  A bottom view of  FIG. 14 . 
         FIG. 16  A sectional view taken in the arrow A direction of  FIG. 15 . 
         FIG. 17  A sectional view taken in the arrow B direction of  FIG. 15 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a slide valve device for automatic surface pressure application that is constructed of a fixed plate, a slide plate, and a seal plate, and a surface pressure application method therefor, which are capable of simplifying work of applying and releasing a surface pressure by using a pusher and a positioning member instead of using a coupling pin as in the conventional case. 
     Embodiments 
     In the following, a slide valve device for automatic surface pressure application and a surface pressure application method therefor according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention are described with reference to the drawings. 
     Note that, the same or similar components as those in the conventional example are represented by the same reference symbols when being described. 
       FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate a release position of a seal case  21  of a slide valve device  20 . On a bottom lower surface  1   a  of a molten metal vessel  1 , a fixed plate  3  having a nozzle hole  3   a  communicating to an insertion nozzle  8  is provided through the intermediation of a base frame  2 . 
     Below the fixed plate  3 , a slide case  4  including a slide plate  5  provided with a nozzle hole  5   a  is connected through the intermediation of a guide piece  4   b  to a hydraulic or electrical actuator  7 . With the activation of the actuator  7 , only the slide case  4  is independently slidable together with the slide plate  5  in a horizontal direction in  FIG. 1 . 
     The slide case  4  can be turned downward in  FIG. 1  owing to an axial support portion  4   a  provided on the guide piece  4   b  side. A seal case  21  including a seal plate  6  below the slide case  4  is openable and closable through the intermediation of an axial support portion  21 G. Therefore, the slide case  4  can be turned after the seal case  21  is released. Note that, the seal case  21  includes only the seal plate  6 , or alternatively includes the seal plate  6  and a shooting nozzle  21   a.    
     On a lower surface of the slide case  4  or the guide piece  4   b , a pusher  53  formed of a protruding member is provided. When the slide case  4  is slid in a surface pressure application direction by the actuator  7 , the seal case  21  is slidable together with the slide case  4  by the pusher  53 . 
     Further, at an end portion of the base frame  2  which is opposite to the actuator  7 , a pair of positioning members  51  are provided so as to determine an arrangement location X of the seal case  21  described later. 
     Further, a stopper  52  is provided to the base frame  2  on the pusher  53  side. The stopper  52  is capable of fixing the seal case  21  at the arrangement location. Note that, the positioning members  51  and the stopper  52  sandwich the seal case  21  along a sliding direction of the slide case  4 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 9 , which is an enlarged view of  FIG. 2 , in each of the positioning members  51 , an operation member  51 B having a T-shape in cross section is provided inside a cylindrical member  51 A so as to be operable in an axial direction thereof through the intermediation of a compression spring  51 C. At a tip end of the operation member  51 B, a contact portion  51   a  is provided, which is constructed of a pressing portion formed of an elastic member. 
     The contact portion  51   a  is formed so as to protrude forward from an end portion of the cylindrical member  51 A, and is made of such a material that the contact portion  51   a  is deformed and pressed when a tip end  21 A of the seal case  21  abuts against the contact portion  51   a , and then the seal case  21  is slightly moved (biased) back in a direction of the original position of the seal case  21 . 
     Note that, the positioning member  51  is not limited to the structure using the cylindrical member  51 A, the compression spring  51 C, and the like described above. For example, although illustration is omitted herein, the positioning member  51  may have a structure using only an integrally molded member having a rod shape or a T-shape in cross section, which is made of a rubber or resin material, or using only a spring. With this structure, actions and effects similar to those described above can be obtained. 
       FIG. 2  is a bottom view of  FIG. 1 . The base frame  2  is provided with the well-known stopper  52  pivotable only by 90 degrees from a horizontal direction to a vertical direction and vice versa. Below the stopper  52 , a plate-like heat insulating cover  25  is provided pivotably toward the base frame  2  through the intermediation of an axial support portion  27  as illustrated in  FIG. 6 . Note that, the stopper  52  is used for limiting a sliding range of the seal case  21  by causing the seal case  21  to abut against a protrusion or the like (not shown) during sliding. 
     Further, as illustrated in  FIG. 6 , the heat insulating cover  25  is allowed to assume a closing state when the stopper  52  is situated at a horizontal position (solid line), and is not allowed to assume the closing state when situated at a vertical position (dotted line). 
     Next, description is given of a case of operations of applying and releasing the surface pressure, which are performed by the slide valve device  20  according to the present invention structured as described above. 
     First, in a fully opened state (not shown) of the slide valve device  20  of the present invention, when a molten steel or a molten metal flows through the insertion nozzle  8 , only the slide case  4  is slid by means of the actuator  7 , whereby it is possible to perform control and an OFF operation of the molten metal which flows from the insertion nozzle  8  into the shooting nozzle  21   a  through the nozzle holes  3   a  and  5   a.    
     In the above-mentioned case, the positioning members  51  for determining the arrangement location X of the seal case  21 , and the stopper  52  for fixing the seal case  21  at the arrangement location X are provided to the base frame  2 , while the pusher  53  for pushing the seal case  21  is provided to the slide case  4  or the guide piece  4   b . Therefore, when the slide case  4  or the guide piece  4   b  is slid in the surface pressure application direction by the actuator  7 , as illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the seal case  21  is moved to the arrangement location X together with the slide case  4  by the pusher  53 , and the stopper  52  is fitted to the seal case  21  that has been moved to the arrangement location X, with the result that the seal case  21  can be fixed at the arrangement location X. Note that, the positioning members  51  are disposed opposite to the stopper  52  with respect to the sliding direction of the slide case  4  or the guide piece  4   b.    
     The above-mentioned seal case  21  situated at the arrangement location X, which is illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , is pressed toward the stopper  52  by the contact portions  51   a  serving as the pressing portions of the respective positioning members  51 . 
     Note that, regarding the movement of the seal case  21  by the pusher  53  from the above-mentioned release position ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ) of the seal case  21  to a fully closed position ( FIGS. 3 and 4 ) that is a use position, as illustrated in  FIG. 5 , a spring holder  30  is operably held on the base frame  2  through the intermediation of springs  12 , and movable members  14  such as rollers, which are provided on both sides of the seal case  21 , are slidably joined to support surfaces  13  formed in bottom surfaces of the spring holder  30 . Therefore, the sliding movement of the seal case  21  causes the movable members  14  to move on the support surfaces  13 . Accordingly, the spring holder  30  moves upward and downward to apply and release the surface pressure. 
     Next, as described above, when the surface pressure is released under a state in which the seal case  21  is arranged at the arrangement location X as illustrated in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the slide case  4  is temporarily slid in a direction opposite to a surface pressure release direction so that the seal case  21  situated at the arrangement location X is biased by the pusher  53  in the direction opposite to the surface pressure release direction, and the stopper  52  that is easy to operate in this state is pivoted toward the dotted line of  FIG. 6  and released. Then, the slide case  4  and the seal case  21  are slid in the surface pressure release direction, with the result that the surface pressure can be released. 
     Next,  FIGS. 10 to 13  illustrate a second embodiment of the present invention, which is different from the above-mentioned first embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 1 to 8 . The same components as those in the first embodiment are represented by the same reference symbols to omit description thereof, and thus only differences from the first embodiment are described. 
     Specifically, in the second embodiment described above, the positioning member  51  and the pusher  53  of the first embodiment are arranged in an opposite manner. The positioning member  51  is positioned on the actuator  7  side of the base frame  2 , and the pusher  53  is provided on a tip end  4 A side of the slide case  4 , which is opposite to the actuator  7 . Similarly, the stopper  52  is disposed at a position opposite to the case of  FIG. 1 , that is, on the tip end  4 A side of the base frame  2 , which is a position opposite to the position of the actuator  7 . 
     Thus, in the second embodiment described above, the slide case  4  is drawn by the actuator  7  toward the left of  FIG. 10  so that the seal case  21  is moved toward the left together with the seal plate  6  by the pusher  53 , and a tip end  21 M (illustrated in  FIG. 10 ) of the seal case  21  abuts against the contact portions  51   a  of the positioning members  51 , with the result that the surface pressure is applied in a manner similar to the case described above. The subsequent operation for the positioning members  51  is similar to that in the first embodiment described above, and description thereof is therefore omitted herein. 
     Industrial Applicability 
     The slide valve device for automatic surface pressure application and the surface pressure application method therefor according to the present invention are employed as means for controlling outflow of a molten metal between the respective vessels or the like in continuous casting facilities.