Method and apparatus for preventing the inclusion of slag into the molten steel tapped from a converter

Apparatus for preventing the inclusion of slag into molten steel tapped from a converter comprising a water-cooled stopper supporting arm means, said supporting arm means having an extensible member, propelling means on said stopper supporting arm means for longitudinally extending and longitudinally retracting said extensible member, an elongated stopper pivotally mounted as a pendulum on said extensible member, said stopper being adapted to come into contact with the inner opening of a tap hole in the converter, a vertical arm support means pivotably connected to said stopper support arm means, a tilting means pivotally connected to said vertical arm support means and pivotally connected to said stopper supporting arm means, said tilting means being operable to pivot said stopper support arm means relative to said vertical arm support means, a turning mechanism operably connected to said vertical arm support means for rotating said vertical arm support means about a vertical axis, an elevating mechanism for raising and lowering said vertical arm support means, and limiting means mounted on said stopper support arm means, said limiting means being operable to limit the lift of said stopper above said tap hole after having come into contact with the inner opening of said tap hole, whereby said stopper is insertable into said converter as said propelling means extends said extensible member, said limiting means providing for positioning said stopper at a predetermined spaced position above said tap hole for various positions as said converter is tilted about a horizontal axis such that molted slag is thereby delayed from flowing out of said tap hole.