Improvements in Stoppers for Ladles used for Casting Steel.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Aug., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 27th Apr., 1893-Accepted, 8th July, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Stoppers for Ladles used for Casting Steel.
I JAMES STRANAGHAN of 10 Eldon Street Tatton Street Salford in the County
of Lancaster, Weighman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to the stoppers for ladles used for casting steel, the object
being to increase the durability of such stoppers and lessen the liability to make
waste by accidental penetration of the molten steel into the joints made by the
locking of the stoppers to the swan-neck of the ladle.
Hitherto the stopper has been usually connected to the "swan-neck" by a pin
passing through the stopper and fixed in the said "swan-neck" by a cotter, the pin
being provided with a head at its lower end fitting into a recess or enlarged
opening at the bottom of the stopper. This recess has had to be filled with ganister to
protect the pin and the ganister is liable to contract in drying and fall out of the
recess and allow the metal to enter the recess and cause the parts to adhere
together.
The edge of the recess also is liable to be attacked by the molten metal in the
ladle and corroded until the metal has escaped and become wasted, thereby entailing
occasionally considerable loss.
According to my invention I do not make the hole for the pin or shank of the
stopper through the bottom of the latter but only about half way through the same
and I form the said hole either oblong in section or with a groove or grooves along
its side so as to allow a tee or cross head or other projection from the end of the
pin to pass down into the hole.
At the bottom of this hole is an enlargement of such form that when the tee or
cross head at the end of the pin reaches the same it can be turned for say a quarter
of a revolution thereby locking the said pin in the stopper which is thus secured
without any external hole through which the molten metal can penetrate.
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The upper end of the pin may be fixed as usual by a cotter to the "swan-neck
and I propose to form a shoulder or enlargement around the upper edge to the
stopper so that the fire-clay sleeve can fit thereon and its end be protected thereby
from the action of the molten metal thus dispensing with the necessity for filling up
the joint between the stopper and sleeve with ganister or other material.
In the top surface of the stopper I form a groove in the same direction as the
tee or cross head, at the end of the pin, will take when the latter is locked into the
stopper, and I bore a corresponding hole in the pin through which I pass an
indicating or tell-tale peg which beds into the groove above-named, keeps the pin
in place, and shews from the outside that the internal locking of the stopper to the
pin is completed.
In some cases I propose instead of the tee or cross head to slip a nut from the
outside of the stopper into the enlargement at the end of the hole in the stopper
and to screw the end of the pin therein, and so lock it to the stopper; the hole
through which the nut is inserted is tapered, that is to say made larger as it nears
the centre of the stopper so that when the nut has been inserted the hole can be
filled in with ganister or similar material and this filling can not accidentally
fall out.
Dated this 11th day of August 1892.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Stoppers for Ladles used for Casting Steel.
I JAMES STRANAGHAN of 10 Eldon Street Tatton Street Salford in the County
of Lancaster, Weighman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention,and.in-what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to the stoppers for ladles used for casting steel or other
molten metal, the object being to increase the durability of such stoppers and lessen
the liability to make waste by accidental penetration of the molten metal into the
joints made by the locking of the stoppers to the end of the swan-neck.
Hitherto the stopper has been usually connected to the "swan-neck " by a pin
passing through the stopper and fixed in the said "swan-neck" by a cotter, the pin
being provided with a head at its lower end fitting into a recess or enlarged opening
at the bottom of the stopper. This recess has had to be filled with ganister to
protect the pin and the ganister is liable to contract in drying and fall out of the
recess and allow the metal to enter the recess and cause the pin to be fused or burnt
away or the parts to adhere together.
The edge of the recess also is liable to be attacked by the molten metal in the
ladle and corroded until the metal has escaped and become wasted, thereby entailing
occasionally considerable loss.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood I have annexed hereto a
sheet of drawings and have marked the same with figs. and letters of reference
corresponding with those in the following description.
Fig. 1 is an elevation in section of one of my "internal lock" stoppers.
Fig. 2 is a plan thereof also in section.
Fig. 3 is an elevation shewing the same applied to the swan neck and the sleeve
which are drawn in section;
Fig. 4 is a plan view of the stopper.
According to my invention I do not make the hole a' for the pin or shank b of the
stopper a through the bottom of the latter but only about half way through the same
and I form the said hole a¹ either oblong in section (see Fig. 4) or with a groove or
grooves along its side so as to allow a tee or cross head b₁ or other projection from
the end of the pin to pass down into the hole.
At the bottom of this hole a¹ is an enlargement a³ of such form (see Fig. 2) that
when the tee or cross head b' at the end of the pin breaches the same it can be
turned for say a quarter of a revolution thereby locking the said pin b in the
stopper a which is thus secured without any external hole through which the molten
metal can penetrate.
The upper end of the pin 6 may be fixed as usual by a cotter d to the "swan-
necke as shown at Fig. 3 and I propose to form a shoulder a* or enlargement
around the upper edge to the stopper a so that the fire-clay sleeve f can fit thereon
and its end be protected thereby from the action of the molten metal thus dispensing
with the necessity for filling up the joint between the stopper a and sleeve f with
ganister or other material.
In the top surface of the stopper a I form a groove 9 in the same direction as the
tee or cross head b', at the end of the pin b, will take when the latter is locked into
the stopper a; and I bore a corresponding hole in the pin & through which I pass
an indicating or tell-tale peg h which beds into the groove g, keeps the pin b in
place, and shews from the outside that the internal locking of the stopper a to the
pin is completed.
It will be seen from the above description that my invention dispenses with the
necessity of any filling up from the exterior of the stopper the locking being entirely
internal in the centre of the stopper, and all the joints being thoroughly protected
from the molten metal.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The solid ended stopper with internal locking recess for receiving a cross
headed pin substantially as herein before described and illustrated by the annexed
drawings.
2. The combination of the solid ended stopper, cross headed pin and tell-tale or
safety peg held in a groove in the said stopper substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated by the annexed drawings.
Dated this 26th day of April 1893.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicaut.