Improvements in Hydraulic Apparatus for Preventing Upsetting of Convertors Employed in the Manufacture of Steel, which Improvements are Applicable also to Hydraulic Centre Cranes.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Oct., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 20th July, 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 19th Oct., 1888
Improvements in Hydraulic Apparatus for Preventing Upsetting
of Convertors Employed in the Manufacture of Steel, which
Improvements are Applicable also to Hydraulic Centre Cranes.
We, SAMUEL JOHN EVANS, formerly of Greenland House, Blaenavon in the county
of Monmouth, and now of Old Church Cottage, Cafn Coed, Merthyr in the county of
Glamorgan fitter and CHARLES DAVID PHILLIPS of Emlyn Foundry Newport, in the
county of Monmouth engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The apparatus for controlling the tipping or tilting of convertors, such as are used
in the Bessemer process of making steel, to which this invention relates, consists in
the employment of pawls carried upon shafts conveniently placed in relation to the
convertor, such pawls being actuated by hydraulic power to engage with racks formed
on each side of the usual spur wheels by means of which the convertor is tipped, and
so to prevent the latter from unduly tilting or upsetting in event of a reduction of
pressure acting in the usual hydraulic cylinder to balance the convertor.
The pawls, which are normally out of gear during the operation of "blowing," are
connected by suitable rods to a cross bar which with the said connecting rods con-
stitutes a frame. Behind the cross bar is a small hydraulic cylinder the ram of
which fits into a socket formed for its reception in the cross bar.
This cylinder
is carried by a bracket springing from the crossbead of the main piston rod.
Towards the rear end of the small hydraulic cylinder aforesaid is a port which
communicates by a pipe with the pressure supply. Further towards the middle of
the hydraulic cylinder is a second port communicating by a pipe and channel with
the space behind the piston of the main hydraulic cylinder.
When the water is admitted into the main hydraulic cylinder for the purpose of
balancing the convertor during the operation of "blowing" the pressure acts on the
ram of the small hydraulic cylinder and the pawls at the convertor are tilted out of
engagement with the racks. Should the water pressure fail, the rain of the small
hydraulic cylinder returns and the pawls are thrown into gear with the racks of the
spur wheels and the convertor is thereby prevented from tilting or upsetting.

page_text: To control the convertor at such times as the water pressure is not acting in the
main cylinder, as, for instance, when repairing or relining, a third hydraulic cylinder
is employed and placed in the same plane as the cylinder hereinbefore referred to
as the small hydraulic cylinder. The ram of the small hydraulic cylinder is con-
nected to the piston rod of the third cylinder which is provided with ports at each
end. By admitting water on either side of the piston of the third cylinder, as
required, the pawls at the convertor are thrown into or out of engagement with the
racks at will.
In the application of this invention to centre cranes the ram of the small hydraulic
cylinder is connected to a pivotted lever to which is connected a wedge which when
the water pressure fails is lowered into a groove in the centre pillar. The ram in the
centre pillar is thus prevented from descending and the running gear of the crane is
arrested.
When the pressure is reversed the wedge is withdrawn and the action of the crane
resumed.
anal
1
atabo 1007
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: Improvements in Hydraulic Apparatus for Preventing Upsetting
of Convertors Employed in the Manufacture of Steel, which
Improvements are Applicable also to Hydraulic Centre Cranes.
We, SAMUEL JOHN EVANS, formerly of Gweeland House, Blaenavon in the county
of Monmouth, and now of Old Church Cottage, Cefn Coed, Merthyr, in the county of
Glamorgan, fitter, and CHARLES DAVID PHILLIPS, of Emlyn Foundry, Newport, in the
County of Monmouth 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:-
This invention consists in apparatus for controlling the tipping or tilting of
convertors such as are used in the Bessemer process of making steel. It is applicable
also to hydraulic centre cranes and to controlling the motion of other masses or vessels,
and to other like or analogous uses.
The controlling mechanism consists of pawls which are connected to hydraulic rams
by which the pawls are operated, at will, either to prevent or permit movement of the
vessel or mass in connection with which they are fitted.
In adapting this invention to control the tilting of hydraulically operated Bessemer
steel convertors and like vessels and to prevent the same from upsetting in ovent of
failure of or reduction in the water pressure, the pawls are centred upon a counter-
weighted shaft conveniently placed in relation to the pinion of the convertor and are
connected to a cross-head formed in one piece with or secured to the plunger of a
hydraulic ram. Towards one end of the cylinder of this ram is a port which communi-
cates with the water supply pipe. In this port is a valve. At or about midway in the
cylinder of the ram is a port which communicates with a channel in the piston rod of
the main hydraulic tipping cylinder. This channel extends through the piston of the
main hydraulic cylinder and supplies water behind the pision. Water cannot be
supplied behind the piston without first passing into the hydraulic cylinder above
mentioned. Water is supplied to the space in front of the piston of the main hydraulic
cylinder by a channel in the piston rod or by a pipe, as is well understood. Opposite
the port by which, as aforesaid, the water is admitted to the cylinder of the small
hydraulic ram is an escape port controlled by a valve seated therein.
When the pawls are in gear they lie in grooves formed in webs situated at each
side of the pinion centred upon the shaft of the convertor. The pawls, when in this
position, hold the convertor stationary and the shaft on which they are fixed is so
placed in relation to the shaft of the convertor that as the tendency to be depressed
is increased the grip of the pawls is tightened.
The water admitted to the small hydraulic cylinder forces back the ram thereof and
tilts the pawls out of the grooves in the webs of the toothed wheel and the convertor
is balanced by the water acting on both sides of the piston of the main hydraulic
cylinder. Should, however, the pressure behind the piston acting against the weight

page_text: of the convertor become, through error, accident, leakage or any other cause, reduced
below the degree necessary to govern the weight of the convertor, the ram of the
small hydraulic cylinder is returned by a counterweight to its normal position and the
pawls are applied to hold the convertor.
In order to control the convertor when lowering, the following means are adopted.
The escape valve in the small hydraulic cylinder is counterweighted, the counterweight
being connected by a rod to the pinion of the convertor. The water escaping from
behind the piston of the main hydraulic cylinder passes into the small cylinder and
raising the escape valve causes the pinion of the convertor to rotate and so permits the
convertor to be lowered gradually.
In order to hold the convertor stationary in any position for a given time a third
hydraulic ram is employed the plunger of which is either formed in one piece with or
is connected to the plunger of the cylinder above referred to as the small hydraulic
cylinder. The third ram is of larger diameter than that to which it is connected and
when it is desired to keep the convertor stationary, either for repairs or other reason,
water is admitted to the third ram which constitutes a check upon the ram to which it
is connected.
.
In the application of this invention to centre cranes the ram of the small hydraulic
cylinder is connected to the pawls which are put into and out of gear with grooves
formed in the centre pillar, and the pawls being centred on shafts supported in
bearings on the bed plate prevent the girder carrying the "ladles" from becoming
unduly lowered in event of failure in the water pressure acting in the usual lifting
and balancing rams.
Referring to the accompanying sheets of drawings Fig. 1 Sheet 1. illustrates, partly
in section and partly in elevation, the application to a Bessemer steel convertor of the
apparatus in which this invention consists. Fig. 2 is a plan of the pawls, partly in
'section. The pawls a are centred upon the shaft A conveniently placed in relation
to the pinion K centred on the shaft of the convertor.
The pinion K gears, as is usual, with the rack H¹ on the main hydraulic cylinder H
which travels on the rollers H2.
By the rod and the cross-head d the pawl shaft A is connected to the ram e of
the small hydraulic cylinder e.
When in gear, the pawls a lie in grooves provided in the webs at each side of the
pinion K, as shown, and by the pawls the convertor is rigidly held in any position
occupied by it when the pawls are applied. Instead of taking into grooves the pawls
may gear with the teeth of the pinion. The counterweight L tends to keep the pawls
in gear.
When, in order to raise the convertor, water is admitted by the pressure supply
pipe I to the port of the cylinder e the valve e² is raised and the plunger el, being
forced back the pawls a are tilied out of the grooves in the webs k of the pinion K.
When the plunger el is forced back clear of the port the water passes thence through
the pipe J into the usual channel J' in the piston rod of the cylinder H, and is
delivered to what may be conveniently termed the back of the piston where it acts
against the weight of the convertor.
Thus the convertor is raised to the vertical position for "blowing."
The water which meantime is being expelled from the front of the piston of the
main cylinder H passes out through the channel y' and pipe y. At the outlet is a
valve connected to the crosshead . This valve is so arranged that when the pawls a
are in gear the valve is closed and when the pawls are out of gear the valve is opened.
The convertor is thus prevented from rising when overbalanced at the bottom or tuyere
end' in charging.
In cases where the main hydraulic cylinder H is stationary and the piston movable
the cylinder e and N may be situated at one end of the cylinder H and the valve y at
the other.
In event of the pressure, acting behind the piston of the cylinder H failing or
becoming reduced below the degree requisite to govern the convertor, the ram e in
the cylinder e is returned by the counterweight L connected to the pawl shaft A and

page_text: the pawls are forced into the grooves in the webs of the pinion K and the convertor
is prevented from upsetting or being unduly tilted.
When, in lowering the convertor, the water pressure is withdrawn from behind
the piston of the cylinder H and applied at the front thereof, the water escaping
through the channel J passes into the cylinder e through the port. Thence it
passes out into the pipe I by raising the escape valve e³ the spindle of which is connected
to the lever m on which travels a balance weight M connected by a rod m' to the
pinion K.
As the convertor is lowered, the weight M is, by the rotation of the pinion K,
drawn outwards on the lever m, that is to say, towards the convertor, and the power
exerted on the valve e³ is increased proportionately. The plunger el of the cylinder e
is kept back clear of the port, but, in event of the pressure of water failing, the
plunger moves forward under the influence of the counterweight L and the pawls are
applied to prevent the convertor from becoming upset. The convertor when horizontal
is balanced by the counterweight M. Instead of a counterweight M a spiral spring
may be used for the same purpose.
When it is required to hold the convertor in a fixed position for repairs, relining
or other object, the cylinder N is brought into use. The plungern in the cylinder N
is in one with or rigidly secured to the plunger e¹ of the cylinder e.
Water is admitted through the pipe P to the cylinder N which is of larger diameter
than the cylinder e, the plunger el is forced forward, the pawls are applied and the
convertor is firmly held until the pressure acting behind the plunger n is relaxed when
the pawls are at once put out of gear by the pressure acting against the front of the
plunger el which is forced back thereby..
The figure shown on Sheet 2 of the drawings illustrates the application of this
invention to a centre crane by which the girder carrying the "ladles" of molten
metal is raised and lowered over the mould pit.
When in gear, the pawls a lie in the groovess provided in the centre sliding
pillar S, as shown. The pawls, which are centred on shafts A carried in bearings on
the bed plate T are connected by the lever U. The plunger el in the hydraulic
cylinder e is connected by the rod to one of the pawls. The cylinder e communicates
by the port with the usual lifting and balancing rams.
When water is admitted by the pipe I to the cylinder e the plunger e rises
and the pawls are tilted out of contact with the pillar S, and the port being
cleared, the water flows to the lifting and balancing rams.
Should the water pressure fail, the pawls are forced into the grooves in the pillar
and hold it up, and the plunger el blocks the escape of water from the lifting and
balancing rams.
The hydraulic cylinder N is employed to operate the pawls at will as hereinbefore
described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 sheet 1.
The controlling apparatus may be applied to raising and lowering weights or vessels
other than those bereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The improved mechanism for preventing upsetting or undue tilting of hydrau-
lically operated Bessemer steel convertors, or other vessels or weights (in event of
failure in the water pressure), consisting of pawls normally acting to keep the vessel
or weight stationary and operated to release the vessel or weight through a hydraulic
ram in communication with the hydraulic apparatus and actuated by the same
agent by which the vessel or weight is tilted, substantially as described.
2. The hydraulic cylinder e with plunger el connected to the counterweighted
pawls a, and with valves e² and e³, the former arranged to admit water to the
cylinder e and behind the piston of the main hydraulic cylinder H and to close against
its return, and latter arranged to open and permit the exit of the returning water,
substantially as described.

page_text: 3. The movable counterweight M, or the equivalent thereof, acting on the valve e
in such manner that as the convertor is being lowered the resistance offered by the
valve to the escape of water from behind the piston of the cylinder H increases,
substantially as described.
4. The valve y connected to the pawl rod and arranged to close and prevent
the escape of water through the channel y when the pawls are in gear holding the
convertor, and vice versa.
5. The hydraulic cylinder N with plunger connected to the plunger el of the
cylinder e and arranged to put the pawls into gear and so to hold the convertor
independently of the cylinder e and plunger e as and for the purpose specified.
6. The application of the hydraulic cylinders e and N and the pawls a to control
the movement of the centre pillar of hydraulic centre cranes, substantially as
herein before described with reference to sheet 2 of the drawings.
7. The combination of parts constituting the improved means for preventing
upsetting of Bessemer steel convertors and controlling the movement of other vessels
or weights, constructed arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore
described and shown in the accompanying drawings.
NICHOLAS WATTS,
Applicants' Agent.