Improvements in Apparatus for Transferring Ingots or Blooms" from Vertical Heating Furnaces or "Soaking-pits" and Conveying them to Rolling Mills.
Year: 1893

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
66
Improvements in Apparatus for Transferring Ingots or Blooms"
from Vertical Heating Furnaces or "Soaking-pits" and Conveying
them to Rolling Mills.
I, FRANK WESLEY DICK, Steel and Iron Works Department, Messrs.
Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company Limited Jarrow on Tyne in the
County of Durham, Engineer and Manager of Steel and Iron Works do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the satac is to he
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
"
"
The object of this invention is to save labour risk and time in transferring hot
ingots or "blooms" from the furnace, by a crane to a "tilting-cradle" which
deposits them on a " bogie" by which they are conveyed to the rolling mill the
important features being the fixed position of the suspended ingot or
bloom
relatively to the cradle, and the relative positions of the crane, which carries the
"cradle," and of the "bogie" on which the ingot or bloom is to be deposited,
the crane and the "bogie" travelling on two lines of rails, parallel to each other,
so that the cradle is always in such a position relatively to the "bogie" that
the ingot or bloom is certain to be deposited fairly in position; and the novel
construction of the "tilting-cradle" and of the "bogic" by which the ingot, when
deposited on the "bogie," is free from the "cradle," the "bogie" being also free
to convey the ingot to the rolling mill and the "cradle" to return into position to
receive another ingot.
The crane may be of any known type and may be actuated by steam, hydraulic,
electric or other motive power either direct or transmitted by rope or other
On the accompanying sheet of drawings
1-
Figure 1 shews an end elevation of the general arrangement of the heating
furnaces, the crane travelling on rails along the range of furnaces, and carrying the
4: tilting cradle"; and the " bogie" travelling on rails parallel to the crane rails.
Figure 2 is a side elevation, Figure 3 an end view and Figure 4 a plan of the
"tilting-cradle" to a larger scale.
or
Referring to Figure 1, an ingot A has been lifted out of the furnace and is
hanging in the "dogs" or "grabs" ready to be moved across in the direction of
the arrow and placed in the cradle B (shewn by dotted lines with an ingot already
in it) which is pivoted or hinged to the crane frame at C exactly in line transversely
with the suspended ingot and held in a slightly inclined position, so as to give it a
tilting tendency and also to safely retain the ingot in it, by a chain D, operated by
suitable gearing on the crane. The "bogie" E is now brought on its railway
opposite the "cradle" which is lowered from the crane, on its "trunnion
centre at C, by the chain D, or other suitable mechanism, until the ingot rests on
the longitudinal bars F forming the top of the "bogie" parallel to the line of rails,
the bars G which form the back of the "cradle," also parallel with those on the
bogie," taking into the spaces and, being lowered sufficiently to clear the ingot,
the "bogie," with the inget A upon it, is now free to run on its rails from the open
side of the "cradle "next the rolling mill, leaving the empty "cradle" to return
for another ingot from the heating furnace.
The "bogie," preferably propelled by an endless rope or chain now runs direct
to the mill where it is tilted in the usual manner and deposits the iugot on the
feed rollers in front of the rolls.

page_text: "
"
Referring to Figures 2, 3 and 4 which show the construction of the "tilting
cradle pivoted or hinged at (on a bolt which is parallel with the crane and
bogie" rails the ingot when deposited by the crane rests up
upon the bar or ridge H
cast on, what may be termed, the bottom of the cradle which bar or ridge tends
to throw the centre of gravity of the ingot against the back which is formed of
bars G forming fingers projecting from the side K and strengthened by the webs L
which correspond with, and fit into the spaces between the longitudinal bars F on
the "
bogie.'
"Tilting-cralles have been used for the purpose of transferring ingots from a
vertical to a horizontal position but hitherto the objection to their use has been the
difficulty of conveniently and quickly placing the ingot generally suspended from
a crane) in the "cradle." By this invention this difficulty is overcome as the
"cradle" is always in a definite position with regard to the mgot, therefore the
ingot is quickly and conveniently placed upon it by means of the crane.
The cradle itself is centred on a horizontal axis which is parallel to the centre
line of the heating furnaces and to the railway on which the crane moves over the
furnaces and to the railway on which the hogie runs which conveys the ingots or
blooms to the rolling mill, the bogie railway being also at a fixed distance from the
crane railway. The cradle," having only one side, at the end furthest from the
rolling mill, the other end of the finger bars being open allows the ingot to be
drawn clear of the cradle when deposited on the hogie.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed without restriction as to
modifications which may be required in special cases not deviating from the
essential features of the invention I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The combination of a "tilting-cradle" with a travelling crane, on which it is
pivoted or hinged so as to occupy a constant definite position relatively to the ingot
suspended from the crane and arranged to swing radially at right angles to the
crane railway for the purposes stated and substantially as described.
2. In combination with a tilting-cradle so pivotted on a travelling crane, a
bogie" running on a railway parallel to the crane railway at a fixed distance
therefrom and at a fixed relative height for the purposes stated and substantially
as described.
"
3. The construction of a tilting-cradle B having one side K at right angles
to the pivotting axis C carrying projecting finger like arms with spaces between
forming a grated back, the bottom having a ledge H so placed that the centre of
gravity of the ingot or bloom shall lie between this ledge and the back substan-
tially as described and shewn.
"
4. The construction of a "bogie" I to work in conjunction with the "tilting-
cradle above described, the top being formed with longitudinal bars F having
spaces between or other equivalent formation, so as to allow the bogie to clear the
"cradle" after the ingot or bloom has been transferred, and convey it to the mill
substantially as described and shewn.
".
"
5. The improvements in apparatus for the purposes hereinbefore stated com-
prising the tilting-cradle B, pivotted or hinged on a travelling crane on a
railway, and swinging at right angles thereto on a centre C and the "bogie" E
running upon a railway parallel with and at a fixed distance from the crane railway
all combined, constructed and operating substantially as described and shewn,
Natod this 20th day Masal 1909
T. J. DANSON, F. Inst. P.A.,
Chartered Patent Agent,
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Agent for Applicant.