Slab transfer apparatus

Claim 2

In a system for heating elongated metal slabs of greater length than width and greater width than thickness disposed on one side edge, a plurality of induction heaters arranged in a line and disposed on vertical axes and open at the tops and bottoms thereof; lift means projecting upwardly through the bottom of each said heater for supporting a slab in a first position within the heater for static heating thereof; each said lift means being movable to a raised position for at least partially projecting a heated slab above the top of the heater and for receiving another slab; means for loading and unloading the slabs comprising overhead transfer means disposed for movement along said line; an incoming conveyor at one end of said line for delivering unheated slabs to a position to be picked up by said transfer means; an outgoing conveyor at the opposite end of said line for receiving heated slabs; control means for receiving a demand signal from a mill and for determining that at least one of the slabs in one of said heaters in said line is completely heated; said control means including means actuating at least the lift means at said one heater to raise the heated slab, and means actuating said transfer means to deliver the heated slab away from said line and onto said outgoing conveyor and to deliver an unheated slab from said incoming conveyor into said line.

Claim 3

In a system for heating elongated metal slabs of greater length than width and greater width than thickness disposed on one side edge, a plurality of induction heaters arranged in a line; each heater disposed on vertical axes and open at the tops and bottoms thereof; lift means projecting upwardly through the bottom of each said heater for supporting a slab in a first position within the heater for static heating thereof; each said lift means being movable to a raised position for at least partially projecting a heated slab above the top of said heater and for receiving another slab; and means for loading and unloading the slabs from the top of each said heater comprising overhead transfer means disposed for movement along said line; an incoming conveyor at one end of said line for delivering unheated slabs to a position to be picked up by said transfer means; and an outgoing conveyor at the opposite end of said line for receiving heated slabs, means for aligning each slab with each said heater when the slab is deposited upon said lift means in raised position prior to each slab being lowered into each said heater.

Claim 4

In a system for heating elongated metal slabs of greater length than width and greater width than thickness disposed on one side edge, a plurality of induction heaters arranged in a line; each heater disposed on vertical axes and open at the tops and bottoms thereof; lift means projecting upwardly through the bottom of each said heater for supporting a slab in a first position within the heater for static heating thereof; each said lift means being movable to a raised position for at least partially projecting a heated slab above the top of said heater and for receiving another slab; and means for loading and unloading the slabs from the top of each said heater comprising overhead transfer means disposed for movement along said line; an incoming conveyor at one end of said line for delivering unheated slabs to a position to be picked up by said transfer means; and an outgoing conveyor at the opposite end of said line for receiving heated slabs, means for aligning each slab with each said heater when the slab is deposited upon said lift means in raised position prior to each slab being lowered into each said heater.

Claim 5

In a system for heating elongated metal slabs of greater length than width and greater width than thickness disposed on one side edge, a plurality of induction heaters arranged in a line; each heater disposed on vertical axes and open at the tops and bottoms thereof; lift means projecting upwardly through the bottom of each said heater for supporting a slab in a first position within the heater for static heating thereof; each said lift means being movable to a raised position for at least partially projecting a heated slab above the top of said heater and for receiving another slab; and means for loading and unloading the slabs from the top of each said heater comprising overhead transfer means disposed for movement along said line; an incoming conveyor at one end of said line for delivering unheated slabs to a position to be picked up by said transfer means; and an outgoing conveyor at the opposite end of said line for receiving heated slabs; control means for receiving a demand signal from a mill and for determining the location of completely heated slabs in said heaters; said control means including means actuating a lift means at a selected heater to raise a heated slab, means actuating said overhead transfer means to deliver the heated slab of the selected heater to the outgoing conveyor and means actuating said overhead transfer means to pick up an unheated slab from the incoming conveyor and deposit said unheated slab in the empty heater.

Claim 6

In a system for heating elongated metal slabs of greater length than width and greater width than thickness disposed on one side edge, a plurality of induction heaters arranged in a line; each heater disposed on vertical axes and open at the tops and bottoms thereof; lift means projecting upwardly through the bottom of each said heater for supporting a slab in a first position within the heater for static heating thereof; each said lift means being movable to a raised position for at least partially projecting a heated slab above the top of said heater and for receiving another slab; and means for loading and unloading the slabs from the top of each said heater comprising overhead transfer means disposed for movement along said line; an incoming conveyor at one end of said line for delivering unheated slabs to a position to be picked up by said transfer means; and an outgoing conveyor at the opposite end of said line for receiving heated slabs; control means for receiving a demand signal from a mill and for determining the location of completely heated slabs in said heaters; said control means including means actuating a lift means at a selected heater to raise a heated slab, means actuating said overhead transfer means to deliver the heated slab of the selected heater to the outgoing conveyor and means actuating said overhead transfer means to pick up an unheated slab from the incoming conveyor and deposit said unheated slab in the empty heater.

Claim 7

In a system for hEating elongated metal slabs of greater length than width and greater width than thickness disposed on one side edge, a plurality of induction heaters arranged in a line; each heater disposed on vertical axes and open at the tops and bottoms thereof; lift means projecting upwardly through the bottom of each said heater for supporting a slab in a first position within the heater for static heating thereof; each said lift means being movable to a raised position for at least partially projecting a heated slab above the top of said heater and for receiving another slab; and means for loading and unloading the slabs from the top of each said heater, said means for loading and unloading slabs comprising first hoist means for transferring an unheated slab to an empty heater having the lift means thereof in said raised position whereby said slab can be lowered to said first position for heating; and second hoist means for engaging a heated slab in raised positions and transferring said heated slab away from said line.

Claim 8

In a system for hEating elongated metal slabs of greater length than width and greater width than thickness disposed on one side edge, a plurality of induction heaters arranged in a line; each heater disposed on vertical axes and open at the tops and bottoms thereof; lift means projecting upwardly through the bottom of each said heater for supporting a slab in a first position within the heater for static heating thereof; each said lift means being movable to a raised position for at least partially projecting a heated slab above the top of said heater and for receiving another slab; and means for loading and unloading the slabs from the top of each said heater, said means for loading and unloading slabs comprising first hoist means for transferring an unheated slab to an empty heater having the lift means thereof in said raised position whereby said slab can be lowered to said first position for heating; and second hoist means for engaging a heated slab in raised positions and transferring said heated slab away from said line.

Claim 9

In a system for heating elongated metal slabs of greater length than width and greater width than thickness disposed on one side edge, a plurality of induction heaters arranged in a line having incoming and an outgoing end; each heater disposed on vertical axes and open at the tops and bottoms thereof, lift means projecting upwardly through the bottom of each said heater for supporting a slab in a first position within the heater for a static heating thereof; each said lift means being movable to a raised position for at least partially projecting a heated slab above the top of said heater and for receiving another slab; and means for loading and unloading the slabs from the top of each said heater comprising overhead transfer means disposed for movement along said line; an incoming conveyor at one end of said line for delivering unheated slabs to a position to be picked up by said transfer means; and an outgoing conveyor at the opposite end of said line for receiving heated slabs, said heaters adapted to successively heat slabs in said heaters to progressively higher temperatures from the incoming to the outgoing ends of said line; said lift means adapted to raise and lower said slabs simultaneously within said heaters; said means for loading and unloading the slabs comprising overhead transfer means adapted to simultaneously pick up all of the slabs in raised position, index each slab to the heater of next higher temperature, move a new slab into the heater of lowest temperature, and move the slab from the heater of highest temperature away from said line.

Claim 10

In a system for heating elongated metal slabs of greater length than width and greater width than thickness disposed on one side edge, a plurality of induction heaters arranged in a line having incoming and an outgoing end; each heater disposed on vertical axes and open at the tops and bottoms thereof, lift means projecting upwardly through the bottom of each said heater for supporting a slab in a first position within the heater for a static heating thereof; each said lift means being movable to a raised position for at least partially projecting a heated slab above the top of said heater and for receiving another slab; and means for loading and unloading the slabs from the top of each said heater comprising overhead transfer means disposed for movement along said line; an incoming conveyor at one end of said line for delivering unheated slabs to a position to be picked up by said transfer means; and an outgoing conveyor at the opposite end of said line for receiving heated slabs, said heaters adapted to successively heat slabs in said heaters to progressively higher temperatures from the incoming to the outgoing ends of said line; said lift means adapted to raise and lower said slabs simultaneously within said heaters; said means for loading and unloading the slabs comprising overhead transfer means adapted to simultaneously pick up all of the slabs in raised position, index each slab to the heater of next higher temperature, move a new slab into the heater of lowest temperature, and move the slab from the heater of highest temperature away from said line.

Claim 11

In a system as set forth in claim 4: control means for receiving a demand signal from a mill and for determining the location of completely heated slabs in said heaters; said control means including means actuating a lift means at a selected heater to raise a heated slab, means actuating said second hoist means to deliver the heated slab away from said heaters and toward the mill, and means actuating said first hoist means to deliver an unheated slab to the empty heater and deposit said slab in said empty heater.

Claim 12

In a system as set forth in claim 4: said hoist means being movable along said line above said heaters; an incoming conveyor at one end of said line for delivering unheated slabs to a position to be picked up by said first hoist means; and an outgoing conveyor at the opposite end of said line for receiving heated slabs from said second hoist means.

Claim 13

In a system as set forth in claim 4: control means for receiving a demand signal from a mill and for determining the location of completely heated slabs in said heaters; said control means including means actuating a lift means at a selected heater to raise a heated slab, means actuating said second hoist means to deliver the heated slab of the selected heater to the outgoing conveyor, and means actuating said first hoist means to pick up an unheated slab from the incoming conveyor and deposit said unheated slab in the empty heater.

Claim 14

In a system as set forth in claim 5: an incoming conveyor disposed adjacent to the incoming end of said line; an outgoing conveyor disposed adjacent to the outgoing end of said line; said transfer means adapted to pick up a slab at said incoming conveyor and deposit a fully heated slab at said outgoing conveyor with each indexing movement.

Claim 15

In a system as set forth in claim 9: said overhead transfer means comprising a plurality of vertically movable fork means connected together in spaced intervals equal to the spacing between said heaters and conveyors; means for simultaneously lowering and raising said fork means; means for moving said fork means horizontally along said line; said lift means adapted to project said slabs above said heaters whereby said fork means can be projected under slabs at said incoming conveyor and said heaters, said slabs can be raised and moved to the next heater with one slab being moved away from said line toward said outgoing conveyor and a new slab being introduced into said line, said slabs can be lowered to the lift means of the next adjacent heater and said outgoing conveyor

Claim 16

In a system as set forth in claim 10: means for aligning each slab with each heater when said slab is deposited upon said lift means in raised position prior to said slab being lowered into the heater.