Means for transporting/rotating the pot of a smelting furnace

In a furnace of the type having a foundation, a furnace pot having an upper and a lower pot section wherein each section is rotatable independent of the other, and apparatus for rotating at least the upper section of said furnace pot, the improvement comprising the lower portion of said furnace pot normally resting on said foundation and being substantially locked from rotation thereby and a plurality of transport means distributed along a circle of rotation of the furnace pot for lifting said lower portion of said furnace pot from said foundation for allowing rotation thereof with respect to said foundation, said transport means including:

• (a) a base section rigidly secured to the furnace foundation;
• (b) a plurality of flexible hoses disposed on an upper surface of said base section, said flexible hoses being operative to receive pressure therein for expansion thereof, said hoses being free to roll on said upper surface;
• (c) lifting means disposed on said plurality of said hoses, said lifting means being arranged for lifting said furnace pot from said foundation whenever said hoses are expanded, the expansion of said hoses allowing said furnace pot to rotate relative to said foundation;
• and
• (d) retractor devices disposed at opposed ends of the transport means for returning the transport means to its original position when pressure is removed from said flexible hoses.

Means for lifting a heavy body for movement thereof comprising:

• (a) a base section rigidly secured to a foundation;
• (b) a plurality of flexible hoses disposed in a frame on an upper surface of said base section, said flexible hoses being operative to receive pressure therein for expansion thereof, and said hoses being free to roll on said upper surface;
• (c) lifting means disposed on said plurality of hoses, said lifting means engaging said heavy body for lifting said heavy body from said foundation whenever said hoses are expanded by received pressure therein, the expansion of said hoses allowing said heavy body to be moveable relative to said foundation by rolling thereon;
• and
• (d) retractor means affixed to said frame for returning said frame to an initial position.

A method for rotating the lower portion of a furnace pot in a split-furnace, said furnace pot having a charge therein, comprising the steps of:

• (a) resting said lower portion of the furnace pot on a foundation, said lower portion being thereby locked from motion relative to said foundation;
• (b) lifting said lower portion of said furnace pot by means of a transport means including a plurality of flexible hoses wherein said flexible hoses receive pressure for expansion thereof for lifting said lower portion and for enabling substantially friction-free motion of said lower portion relative to said foundation by rolling of said flexible hoses therebetween;
• (c) allowing rotation of the charge in said furnace pot to incrementally rotate said lower portion of said furnace pot while said lower portion is lifted;
• (d) lowering said lower portion to rest on said foundation after each said incremental rotation by removing pressure from said flexible hoses;
• and
• (e) returning said transport means to an initial position after said lower portion is lowered to rest on said foundation.