Improvements relating to Apparatus employed for Melting Steel or other Metal.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Feb., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Nov., 1898-Accepted, 10th Dec., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Apparatus employed for Melting Steel or
other Metal.
I, JOHN MANASSAHI GLEDHILL, of Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth & Co.,
Limited, of Openshaw, near Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
--
My said invention relates to apparatus for facilitating the use of pots or
crucibles employed for melting steel or other metal and has for its object to
provide a very convenient arrangement of pot holes and movable trays or floors
on which the pots or crucibles stand during the melting of the metal therein,
I am thereby enabled to avoid the dangerous and inconvenient method of lifting
the pots from below by hand and moreover am enabled to work with greater
safety and celerity than has heretofore been practicable.
According to the method of using such pots or crucibles heretofore adopted the
floor on which the pots or crucibles stand is permanently fixed. Therefore each
of the pots has to be lifted by hand-tongs to the floor or ground level above, which
is a dangerous and unhandy method of working.
Now, according to my invention I form the said floor of a movable tray or frame
of iron lined with silica or other bricks, and suitable for containing any desired
number of pots. I arrange this tray to be raised and lowered in the hole or pit
by hydraulic or other suitable means. The tray and lifting apparatus are so
arranged that the former with the pots on it can be raised bodily above ground
so that all of the said pots will be ready to be seized simultaneously by the carriers,
which distribute the molten metal and the latter can therefore be deposited where
wanted in the least possible time.
Various methods may be adopted for raising the movable floor or tray but
preferably I employ hydraulic apparatus. I may use an overhead cylinder, the rod
or ram of which is connected by a cross bar and suspension rods to the tray. Or
I may arrange the hydraulic cylinder and ram underneath the tray. In some
instances I prefer to fix the cylinder against a wall and connect the ram, by means
of chains passing over guide-pulleys, to the tray.
The covers or lids for the pot-holes are also raised and lowered automatically
with the tray when required, the said covers being suspended by chains from the
cross-bar of the hydraulic apparatus. The covers being thus Hexibly suspended
can be raised independently at any time, by the ordinary method, for the
periodical inspection of the pots during the melting of the metal.
Although I prefer to use hydraulic power for the purpose of my invention I
may if desired substitute therefor any other convenient means for raising and
lowering the aforesaid trays and covers.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Apparatus employed for Melting Steel or
other Metal.
I, JOHN MANASSAH GLEDHILL, of Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth & Co.,
Limited, of Openshaw, near Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer,
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:-
My said invention relates to apparatus for facilitating the use of pots or
crucibles employed for melting steel or other metal and has for its object to
provide a very convenient arrangement of pot-holes and movable trays or floors
on which the pots or crucibles stand during the melting of the metal therein.
I am thereby enabled to avoid the dangerous and inconvenient method hitherto
in use, of lifting the pots out of the holes by hand and moreover am enabled to
work with greater safety and celerity than has heretofore been practicable.
According to the method of using such pots or crucibles heretofore adopted the
floor on which the pots or crucibles stand in the pot-hole is immovable, that is
to say it forms the permanent bottom of the hole or pit. Therefore each of the
pots has to be lifted from this floor by hand-tongs to the shop floor or ground
level above, which is a dangerous and unhandy method of working.
Now according to my invention I form the said pot-hole floor of a movable tray
or frame of iron lined with silica or other bricks, and suitable for containing or
supporting any convenient number of pots. I arrange this tray to be raised and
lowered in the hole or pit by hydraulic or other suitable means. The tray and
lifting apparatus are so arranged that the former with the pots on it can be raised
bodily above ground so that all of the said pots will be ready to be seized simul-
taneously by the carriers, which distribute the molten metal to the moulds or
elsewhere and the said pots can therefore be moved to, and deposited in any.
place where they are wanted, in the least possible time.
Various methods may be adopted for raising the movable floor or tray but pre-
ferably I employ hydraulic apparatus and in the accompanying drawing I have
shown convenient arrangements of apparatus for this purpose.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation, and
Figure 2 a transverse section of one arrangement.
Figure 3 is a transverse section illustrating another arrangement of the said
apparatus.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the drawing.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, A, A, are the pot-holes the sides of which may
be formed of fire-clay or other suitable material. a a are the pots or crucibles
therein. B B are fixed metal frames on which the sides rest, CC are hydraulic
cylinders, D D are the movable floors or trays on which the pots are supported in
the holes. As shewn in the drawing this floor is constructed with a frame D'
of iron or steel lined or covered with fire clay or other refractory material as
shewn at D³.
The tray D in each pot-hole is supported on the upper end of a hollow rod or
pillar D3 which is fitted to slide through, and is guided by a central hole in the
frame B. This hollow rod or pillar serves for the escape from the floor of any
metal from leaking or broken pots. The said rod or pillar has its lower end con-
nected with a cross-head 14 which slides vertically in guides E. From this
cross-head the side rods F extend vertically to the cross-head G above the
pot-holes A.
All of the upper cross-heads G are connected by chains with pulleys H¹ on

page_text: the shaft H which is supported to work in suitable bearings in the framing above
the pot-holes as shewn in the drawings. Each pulley H¹ is provided with a
clutch I whereby it can be put into or out of gear with the shaft H as required.
For this purpose I employ suitable levers I¹ which can be operated to move the
clutches by means of chains or rods extending down to a convenient position
below the shaft.
The hydraulic cylinder C can be conveniently arranged at the side of the
framing as shewn in Figure 1, its ram being provided with a rack which gears
with a pinion K on the shaft H; the latter can thus be operated in the required
manner to raise and lower the pots.
A¹ A¹ are lids or covers at the top of the pot-holes. Preferably these covers
are cach connected by a separate chain to a yoke L which is suspended from the
cross-head or bar G by a link M as shewn in Figure 1. With this arrangement
the covers or lids for the pot-holes can be raised and lowered automatically with
the floor or tray D) when required; or each lid or cover can be raised independently
at any time for the periodical inspection of the pots during the melting of the
metal or for other purposes.
Instead of the above arrangement I may use an overhead cylinder, the rod or
ram of which is connected by a cross bar and suspension rods to the tray. Or I
arrange the hydraulic cylinder C and ram underneath the floor or tray 1) as
shewn in Figure 3. In this arrangement the floor I is secured upon the upper
end of the hydraulic cylinder C which is fitted to slide through the hole in
the fixed frame B. The lower end of the cylinder is provided with a cross-
head A2 to the ends of which are connected the lifting rods A³. These rods are
connected by their upper ends to a cross-head As which has the covers A¹
suspended therefrom as shown.
In some instances I prefer to fix the cylinder against a wall and connect the
ram, by means of chains passing over guide-pulleys, to the tray.
Although I prefer to use hydraulic power for the purpose of my invention I
may if desired substitute therefor any other convenient means for raising and
lowering the aforesaid trays and covers.
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. A pot-hole for melting steel or other metal provided with a movable tray or
floor which can be raised and lowered with the pots or crucibles thereon for the
purpose specified.
2. The movable tray or floor constructed partly of metal and partly of refractory
material substantially as set forth.
3. The apparatus comprising the pot-hole or pot-holes each fitted with a movable
tray or floor and the hydraulic or other suitable appliances for raising and lower-
ing the said trays and their covers all substantially as described with reference
to Figures 1 and 2 or to Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 3rd day of November 1898.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.