Stopper plug for bottom pour ladles

An apparatus for selectively opening and closing an aperture in a surface of a receptacle for flowable material, comprising, in combination:

• first means for mating with said aperture and for selectively moving in a predetermined direction substantially perpendicular to a plane containing the line of intersection between said aperture and said surface of said receptacle to open and close said aperture;
• second means for moving said first means and being detachably connectable to said first means;
• said second means being provided with projection means which is insertable into said first means in a direction substantially perpendicular to said predetermined direction so that at least a portion of said projection means is surrounded by said first means;
• third means for mating with said first and second means and for surrounding a portion of said projection means;
• said first and second means completely surrounding said projection means;
• fourth means for securing said third means to said first and second means;
• said first means being provided with fifth means for permitting said flowable material to flow through said aperture in its open condition while maintaining portions of said first means on both sides of said plane and for ensuring a positive return of said first means to a completely closed condition of said aperture even under conditions of warpage, deflection, erosion and misalignment of any of said first, second and third means to prevent undesirable flow of said flowable material and to prevent misalignment of said first means with said aperture;
• said second and third means include side walls which are disposed in planes that radiate from the longitudinal axis of said second means;
• said fifth means includes a plug surface having a slightly concave conical generated shape;
• protective sleeve means disposed around the portions of said second means which project out of said first and third means;
• said sleeve means being provided with an annular projecting extension;
• said first and third means being provided with an annular concave seating groove into which said annular projecting extension fits to lock said first and third means together and to solidify said apparatus;
• at least a portion of said first and third means is provided with a tapered outer surface which contacts said line of intersection between said aperture and said surface of said receptacle when said apparatus is in said closed condition;
• said receptacle comprises a bottom pour ladle;
• said flowable material comprises molten metal;
• said second means comprises a flanged stopper rod;
• said first means comprises a stopper plug adapted to matingly receive said flanged stopper rod;
• said third means comprises a locking key member conforming to the configuration of said flanged stopper rod and adapted to fit upon said stopper plug;
• said aperture forms part of a pouring nozzle provided in the lower portion of said bottom pour ladle;
• said fifth means comprises the bottom portion of said stopper plug, which bottom portion is a substantially conical portion adapted to fit upon and mate with said pouring nozzle provided in said bottom pour ladle;
• and
• said fourth means comprises refractory cement with which said locking key member is affixed to said stopper plug and to said flanged stopper rod.