Slab transfer handling system

• US 6,739,826 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2002
• Issued: 05/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aker Kvaerner Metals, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Kvaerner US Inc.
• Inventors: Gessler, Donald A.
• Primary Examiner(s): KRIZEK, JANICE LEE
• Application Number:
  US10/083,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20030118435A1
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 414/796.5, 414/797.1, 414/793.2, 414/626, 414/627, 414/21, 414/732, 414/734, 414/736, 414/737, 414/738, 414/796.9, 414/797, 294/65.5, 901/40
• US Class Current: 414/797.1
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/914 provided with drive systems incorporating rotary and rectilinear movements
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 1/06 electromagnetic
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 13/06 for minimising or preventing longitudinal or transverse swinging of loads
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 17/12 for handling workpieces, e.g. ingots, which require to be supported temporarily within, or withdrawn from, a treatment chamber, e.g. tong cranes, soaking-pit cranes, stripper cranes for manipulating ingots during forging B66C17/18; grippers for handling or stripping castings or ingots during manufacture B22D29/00

Abstract

A system for transferring a steel slab from a first roller table to a second roller table by lifting the top slab from a stack of slabs on the first table, and then transferring and lowering the slab onto the second table. Specifically, a gantry-type bridge trolley mechanism having suspended electromagnets is provided that is motor driven on a cantilevered runway over the slab unpiler table and the furnace table. A stabilizer system minimizes sway of the electromagnets and the slabs.

Claims

1. A system for transferring slabs from a stack of slabs to a furnace charging table comprising:

a carriage selectively positionable over said stack of slabs and over said furnace charging table;

a plurality of electromagnets coupled to said carriage to lift a slab off of said stack of slabs and transfer it to said furnace charging table;

wherein each said electromagnet is connected to a vertical rod and each said vertical rod is connected to a horizontal shaft; and

stabilizing means for limiting sway of at least one of the vertical rods.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said stabilizing means comprises a stabilization arm connected to each vertical rod.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein each stabilization arm is pivotally connected to said carriage and to at least one of the vertical rods.

4. A system for transferring slabs from a stack of slabs to a furnace charging table comprising:

a carriage selectively positionable over said stack of slabs and over said furnace charging table;

a plurality of electromagnets to said carriage to lift a slab off of said stack of slabs and transfer it to said furnace charging table;

wherein each said electromagnet is connected to a vertical rod and each said vertical rod is connected to a horizontal shaft; and

a plurality of stabilization arms each pivotally connected to said carriage and to one of said vertical rods.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the vertical rods are unequally spaced apart from each other.

6. The system of claim 4 further comprising a load cell connected to at least one vertical rod for weighing the slabs.

7. A system for transferring slabs from a stack of slabs to a furnace charging table comprising:

a carriage selectively positionable over said stack of slabs and over said furnace charging table;

a plurality of electromagnets coupled to said carriage to lift a slab off of said stack of slabs and transfer it to said furnace charging table; and

wherein each said electromagnet is connected to a vertical rod;

wherein each electromagnet is suspended by at least one chain linkage having one end connected to said electromagnet and the opposite end connected to a horizontal disk pivotally connected to the lower end of the vertical rod.

8. A system for transferring slabs from a stack of slabs to a furnace charging table comprising:

a carriage selectively positionable over said stack of slabs and over said furnace charging table;

a plurality of electromagnets coupled to said carriage to lift a slab off of said stack of slabs and transfer it to said furnace charging table; and

wherein each said electromagnet is connected to a vertical rod and each said vertical rod is connected to a horizontal shaft;

wherein each vertical rod is connected to said horizontal shaft by a lever arm.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising an actuator connected to a center lever arm, said center lever arm being connected to the horizontal shaft, wherein said actuator causes at least one of the vertical rods to raise and lower.

10. A system for transferring slabs from a stack of slabs comprising:

a carriage selectively positionable over said stack of slabs at a first position and a second position spaced from the first position;

a plurality of electromagnets coupled to said carriage to lift a slab off of said stack of slabs and transfer it to said second position;

wherein each said electromagnet is connected to a vertical rod; and

stabilizing means for limiting sway of at least one of the vertical rods.

11. A system for transferring slabs from a stack of slabs comprising:

a carriage selectively positionable over said stack of slabs at a first position and a second position spaced from the first position;

a plurality of electromagnets coupled to said carriage to lift a slab off of said stack of slabs and transfer it to said second position;

wherein each said electromagnet is connected to a vertical rod; and

a plurality of stabilization arms each pivotally connected to said carriage and to one of said vertical rods.