Full throttle valve and method of tube and gate change

Valve apparatus for controlling the flow of liquid from the pour opening of a teeming vessel, comprising:

• (a) a frame having rectangularly disposed end and side walls for connection to said vessel;
• (b) opposed gate supporting rails extending through said frame for slidably supporting blank and orificed refractory gates for movement longitudinally through said frame between a loading section adjacent one frame end, an operating section subjacent said vessel pour opening and a gate discharge section adjacent the other frame end, said rails being movably mounted in opposed side walls of said frame for transverse reciprocable movement therein;
• (c) first moving means including a fluid cylinder attached to said frame at said one end and having a piston attaching a ram adapted for operation in the leading section to move gates along said rails in sequence between the respective frame sections;
• (d) second moving means including fluid cylinders attached to said frame and each having a piston operably connected to each of said gate supporting rails for imparting conjoint transverse movement thereto;
• and
• (e) said first moving means and said second moving means being independently operable.

Valve apparatus for controlling the flow of liquid from the pour opening of a teeming vessel, comprising

• (a) a frame connected to said vessel having rectangularly disposed end and side walls defining a hollow interior forming a first path of travel having longitudinally spaced loading, operating and gate discharge sections therein;
• (b) a top plate fixedly mounted in the operating section of said frame and having a throughopening in fluid communication with said vessel pour opening;
• (c) opposed gate supporting rails mounted for transverse movement in said frame for slidably supporting refractory gates for sequential movement through said frame sections;
• (d) at least one refractory gate slidably mounted on said gate supporting rails in the operating section of said frame, said gate containing an orifice for registry with said top plate opening;
• (e) first moving means attached to said frame and operative to move refractory gates along said gate supporting means between said frame sections;
• and
• (f) second moving means operable independent of said first moving means operatively connected to said rails to move said gate along a second path of travel transversely of said frame to vary the degree of registry of said gate orifice with said top plate opening between a position of coaxial alignment therewith and a position out of registry therewith.

In a valve apparatus for controlling the flow of liquid from the pour opening of a teeming vessel said valve having a sliding gate containing an orifice operably positioned with respect to the pour opening, a pour tube assembly on the discharge side of said sliding gate, first drive means for moving sliding gates and pour tube assemblies into their respective operative positions, and second drive means independent of said first drive means for adjusting the degree of registry of the slide gate orifice with respect to the vessel pour opening, a method of changing pour tube assemblies comprising the steps of:

• (a) positioning a replacement pour tube assembly in side by side relation with that in the operative position;
• (b) moving the slide gate along a first path of travel to a position out of registry with the vessel pour opening;
• (c) obstructing the slide gate against movement;
• (d) displacing the spent pour tube assembly along a second path of travel out of its operative position;
• (e) moving the replacement pour tube assembly along said second path of travel into its operative position;
• and
• (f) returing the slide gate along said first path of travel to a position in registry with the vessel pour opening.

In a valve apparatus for controlling the flow of liquid from the pour opening of a teeming vessel said valve having a sliding gate containing an orifice operably positioned with respect to the pour opening, a pour tube assembly on the discharge side of said sliding gate, first drive means for moving sliding gates and pour tube assemblies into their respective operative positions, and second drive means for adjusting the degree of registry of the slide gate orifice with respect to the vessel pour opening, a method of changing slide gates comprising the steps of:

• (a) positioning a replacement slide gate in side-by-side relation along a first path of travel with that in the operative position;
• (b) adjusting the replacement slide gate along a second path of travel in unison with adjustment of the operative slide gate to maintain the two slide gates in mutual alignment irrespective of the adjusted position of the operative slide gate with respect to the vessel pour opening;
• (c) obstructing the pour tube assembly against movement;
• (d) displacing the spent gate along said first path of travel out of the operative position;
• and
• (e) moving the replacement gate along said first path of travel into the operative position.

A sliding gate valve having independent means for throttling a stream of metal during teeming comprising,

• a sliding gate valve frame at the lower portion of the teeming vessel,
• a top plate positioned between the vessel having an orifice in open communication with a teeming opening in the bottom of the vessel,
• a slide gate having a teeming opening positioned beneath said top plate,
• means for holding the sliding gate in fluid tight relationship with the top plate,
• means for moving said sliding gate into and out of a teeming position and
• means in addition to and independent of the means for moving said sliding gate into and out of teeming position for misaligning the sliding gate from its full flow position, whereby the teeming stream may be throttled.

A sliding gate valve for throttling of metal while being teemed comprising,

• a sliding gate valve frame at the lower portion of the teeming vessel,
• a top plate positioned beneath the vessel having an orifice in open communication with a teeming opening in the bottom of the vessel,
• a slide gate having a teeming opening positioned beneath said top plate,
• a member having a teeming orifice positioned beneath the slide gate in substantially fixed orientation with regard to the teeming openings of the top plate and vessel,
• means for holding the said member against the sliding gate in fluid tight relationship,
• means for moving said slide gate into and out of a teeming position, and
• means in addition to and independent of the means for moving said sliding gate into and out of the teeming position for misaligning the sliding gate from its full flow position, whereby the teeming stream may be throttled.

A sliding gate valve for throttling of metal while being teemed comprising,

• a sliding gate valve frame at the lower portion of the teeming vessel,
• a top plate positioned beneath the vessel having an orifice in open communication with a teeming opening in the bottom of the vessel,
• a slide gate having a teeming opening positioned beneath said top plate,
• a member having a teeming orifice positioned beneath the slide gate in substantially fixed orientation with regard to the teeming opening of the slide gate,
• means for holding the said member against the sliding gate in fluid tight relationship,
• means for moving said slide gate into and out teeming position, and
• means independent of and in addition to the means for moving for misaligning the sliding gate and said member from their full flow position, whereby the teeming stream may be throttled.

A sliding gate valve for throttling of metal while being teemed from a vessel comprising,

• a top plate positioned beneath the vessel having an orifice in open communication with a teeming opening in the bottom of the vessel,
• a sliding gate valve frame at the lower portion of the teeming vessel arranged to support and guide a slide gate,
• slide gates perforate with teeming openings, and imperforate, without teeming openings, arranged in the sliding gate frame for sequential positioning beneath the top plate orifice and teeming opening in the bottom of vessel,
• means for sequentially positioning the slide gates beneath the top plate orifice and vessel teeming opening,
• means in addition to and independent of the means for sequential positioning said slide gates for misaligning the slide gates from their full flow position, whereby the teeming stream may be throttled.

A method of teeming a molten material comprising the steps of,

• providing a molten material container such as a ladle or a tundish at its lower portion with a lower sliding surface,
• said surface having a central teeming opening,
• positioning a sliding gate beneath the lower surface,
• moving the sliding gate beneath the lower sliding surface with actuating means to a normally open position,
• throttling the stream in the open position by displacing the sliding gate with means independent and different from the actuating means for moving from the normally closed to the normally open positions and from the normally open to the normally closed positions.

A method of teeming a molten material comprising the steps of:

• providing a molten metal container such as a ladle or tundish with a means at its lower portion to have a lower sliding surface, having a teeming opening in communication with the teeming opening of the vessel,
• positioning a reciprocating sliding gate having a central teeming opening beneath said lower sliding surface,
• providing a means for moving the sliding gate so that its teeming opening moves into and out of a position normally aligned with the teeming openings of the lower sliding surface and the vessel, and
• providing a means for moving the sliding gate so that its teeming opening moves into and out of a position normally aligned with the teeming openings of the lower sliding surface and vessel, and,
• providing a means independent of the means for moving the sliding gate into and out of a position of normal alignment for displacing the teeming opening of the sliding gate at its normal aligned position so that it is partially closed in the normally aligned position, whereby throttling of the stream occurs without interfering with the ability to open and close.

A sliding gate valve for throttling of metal while being teemed from a vessel comprising,

• a top plate positioned beneath the vessel having an orifice in open communication with a teeming opening in the bottom of the vessel,
• a sliding gate frame at the lower portion of the teeming vessel arranged to support and guide slide gates,
• a collector member below the slide gates,
• slide gates, perforate with teeming openings, and imperforate without teeming openings, arranged in the sliding gate frame so that they may be sequentially positioned beneath the top plate orifice and teeming opening in the bottom of the vessel,
• said collector member having a teeming orifice positioned beneath the slide gate in substantially fixed orientation with regard to the teeming openings of the top plate and vessel,
• means for holding said collector member in fluid tight relationship to the slide gate and for holding said slide gate in fluid tight relationship to the top plate,
• means for sequentially positioning the slide gates beneath the top plate orifice and above the collector member orifice,
• means in addition to and independent of the means for sequential positioning slide gates for misaligning the slide gates along a path of misalignment from their full flow position, whereby the teeming stream may be throttled.

A sliding gate valve for throttling of metal while being teemed from a vessel comprising,

• a top plate positioned beneath the vessel having an orifice in open communication with a teeming opening in the bottom of the vessel,
• a sliding gate frame at the lower portion of the teeming vessel arranged to support and guide slide gates,
• a collector member below the slide gates,
• slide gates, perforate with teeming openings, and imperforate without teeming openings arranged in the sliding gate frame so that they may be sequentially positioned beneath the top plate orifice and teeming opening in the bottom of the vessel,
• a collector member having a teeming orifice positioned beneath the slide gate in substantially fixed orientation with regard to the slide gate in the teeming position,
• means for holding said collector member in fluid tight relationship to the slide gate and for holding said slide gate in fluid tight relationship to the top plate,
• means for sequentially positioning the slide gates beneath the top plate orifice and above the collector member orifice,
• means in addition to and independent of the means for sequential positioning slide gates for misaligning the slide gates from their full flow position, whereby the teeming stream may be throttled.

The method for replacing a spent pour tube with a new pour tube in a valve for a vessel for teeming molten metals and having means for sequentially receiving and discharging a sliding gate above the pour tube along a predetermined axis of movement, said sliding gate having a teeming opening for alignment with a pouring orifice of the vessel comprising the steps of:

• positioning the teeming opening in the sliding gate off centerline of said predetermined axis of movement through the valve,
• moving the sliding gate into pouring condition,
• shifting the sliding gate laterally to close off the pour,
• moving the new pour tube into position beneath the sliding gate thereby displacing the spent pour tube,
• commencing the pour again by reversing the lateral shift of the sliding gate.