Apparatus to manipulate scrap in a scrap charger

A scrap charging apparatus for an electric arc furnace, said scrap charging apparatus including the combination of:

• a scrap holding bunker having a scrap fall space extending to an underlying scrap discharge opening;
• a scrap delivery chute including a generally horizontal feed chute section having a scrap jam relief gate at a for receiving scrap from said scrap discharge opening, said scrap jam relief gate being displaceable between an operating position establishing a desired flow of scrap passing said throat opening from said scrap holding bunker beyond said throat opening and along said horizontal feed chute section and a second position enlarging said throat opening for passage of scrap beyond said throat opening when impeded by said scrap jam relief gate at said operating position;
• and
• a ram controlled by a drive to advance scrap from said scrap discharge opening through said throat opening for delivery from said scrap delivery chute, said scrap holding bunker including a front end wall supporting a scrap shoving ram inclined downward for reorient the scrap in the fall space near said scrap discharge opening at said scrap jam relief gate to reorient the scrap in front of said throat opening and at least reduce the possibility of a scrap jam by scrap entering said scrap discharge opening.

A scrap charging apparatus for an electric arc furnace, said scrap charging apparatus including the combination of:

• a scrap holding bunker having a scrap fall space extending to an underlying scrap discharge opening, the scrap fall space of said a scrap holding bunker is bounded by spaced apart side walls and a front end wall spaced by said scrap discharge opening from a back end wall, said back end wall essentially including an elongated inclined wall section sloping to the horizontal toward said scrap discharge opening at an acute angle sufficient in magnitude for utilizing the force of gravity to promote lateral advancing movement of scrap along said elongated inclined wall section into said scrap discharge opening and thereby reduce vertical loading on scrap entering said scrap discharge opening, said elongated inclined wall section being sloped at said acute angle to facilitate the orientation of long and flat scrap pieces such that the major dimensional axis is oriented horizontal as opposed to vertical to better organize the scrap entering a pushing space in front of said ram at throat opening;
• a scrap delivery chute including a generally horizontal feed chute section having a scrap jam relief gate at a for receiving scrap from said scrap discharge opening, said scrap jam relief gate being displaceable between an operating position establishing a desired flow of scrap passing said throat opening from said scrap holding bunker beyond said throat opening and along said horizontal feed chute section and a second position enlarging said throat opening for passage of scrap beyond said throat opening when impeded by said scrap jam relief gate at said operating position;
• and
• a ram controlled by a drive to advance scrap from said scrap discharge opening through said throat opening for delivery from said scrap delivery chute.

A scrap charging apparatus for an electric arc furnace, said scrap charging apparatus including the combination of:

• a scrap holding bunker having a scrap fall space extending to an underlying scrap discharge opening;
• a scrap delivery chute including a generally horizontal feed chute section having a scrap jam relief gate at a for receiving scrap from said scrap discharge opening, said scrap jam relief gate being displaceable between an operating position establishing a desired flow of scrap passing said throat opening from said scrap holding bunker beyond said throat opening and alone said horizontal feed chute section and a second position enlarging said throat opening for passage of scrap beyond said throat opening when impeded by said scrap jam relief gate at said operating position;
• a transport vehicle for supporting said scrap delivery chute for movement between a scrap charging position wherein said horizontal feed chute section extends through a charging opening of an electric arc furnace and an inoperative position wherein said horizontal feed chute section is withdrawn from said charging opening for tapping, tilting or removal of the electric arc furnace;
• a structure for supporting said transport vehicle at a lateral spaced location from the electric arc furnace;
• and
• a ram controlled by a drive to advance scrap from said scrap discharge opening through said throat opening for delivery from said scrap delivery chute.

A scrap charging apparatus for an electric arc furnace, said scrap charging apparatus including the combination of:

• a scrap holding bunker having a scrap fall space bounded by spaced apart side walls and a front end wall spaced by a scrap discharge opening from a back end wall and said back end wall essentially including an elongated inclined wall section sloping horizontally downward toward said scrap discharge opening at an acute angle sufficient in magnitude for utilizing the force of gravity to promote lateral advancing movement of scrap along said elongated inclined wall section into said scrap discharge opening and thereby reduce vertical loading on scrap entering said scrap discharge opening, said elongated inclined wall section being sloped at said acute angle to laterally offset the burden of an overlying substantial volume of stored scrap from said scrap discharge opening and facilitate the orientation of long and flat scrap pieces such that the major dimensional axis is oriented horizontal as opposed to vertical to better organize the scrap entering said scrap discharge opening and promote layering of the scrap at a transition from vertical scrap flow to horizontal scrap flow beneath said scrap discharge opening;
• a scrap delivery chute including a generally horizontal elongated feed chute section extendable through a charging opening of said electric arc furnace for charging of scrap received from said scrap discharge opening;
• and
• a ram controlled by a drive to advance scrap from said scrap delivery chute into the electric arc furnace.