Metallurgical vessel drive

Claim 2

A metallurgical vessel mounted on a generally horizontally extending first shaft means for pivotal movement, a. a driven gear fastened on said first shaft means in a generally normal relation thereto, b. housing means enclosing at least a portion of said driven gear, c. a first pair of reversible motor means mounted on axially opposite sides of said housing means, d. a pinion gear rotatable about an axis generally parallel to that of said first shaft means and meshing with said driven gear, and e. first and second coupling means each operatively connecting one of said first and second motor means normally in concurrent substantially symmetrical driving relationship to a different axial side of said pinion gear so that both of said motor means may drive said driven gear simultaneously in either direction with substantially balanced driving force applied to said different axial sides whereby said axis of said pinion gear will not deflect substantially from said parallel relation with respect to the axis of said driven gear.

Claim 3

The invention set forth in claim 1 wherein: a. each of said motor means includes a motor shaft, said motor shafts being generally coaxial and spaced from each other, b. input shaft means journaled in said housing means, said first and second coupling means couples said input shaft means to both of said motor shAfts, c. output shaft means journaled in said housing means, said output shaft means having said pinion fixed thereon d. each of said first and second coupling means including gear means operatively coupling said output shaft means and said input shaft means.

Claim 4

The invention set forth in claim 2 wherein: a. said input shaft means and said output shaft means are in substantial parallelism with each other, and b. other shafts in substantial parallelism with each other and with said input and output shafts, all of said other shafts being journaled in said housing means, and c. the gear means of said first and second coupling means being fixed on said parallel shafts.

Claim 5

The invention set forth in claim 1 including: a. a second pair of substantially similar reversible motor means mounted on axially opposite sides of said housing means, b. a second pinion gear rotatable about an axis generally parallel to said first shaft means and meshing with said driven gear, and c. third and fourth coupling means operatively connecting said second pinion gear with both of said second pair of motor means said coupling means being normally in substantially symmetrical driving relationship with said second pinion so that either or both of the motors of said second pair of motor means may drive said driven gear individually or simultaneously, respectively, and so the axis of said second pinion will not deflect substantially from said parallel relationship with respect to the axis of said driven gear but will be subjected primarily to balanced torsional driving forces to thereby substantially prevent uneven wear and stress on the teeth of said pinion and driven gear.

Claim 6

The invention set forth in claim 1 wherein said housing means is supported on said shaft and including: a. means cooperating with said gear housing means for resisting rotational movement of said housing means on said shaft means.

Claim 7

The invention set forth in claim 1 including: a. power output shaft means journaled in said housing about an axis substantially parallel to the axis of said driven gear, and b. said motor means are a pair of reversible hydraulic motors that are mounted on axially opposite sides of said housing means, said hydraulic motor means having shafts that are coaxial, each of said hydraulic motor means shafts being coupled coaxially with said power output shaft means and c. said pinion gear being fixed to said output shaft.

Claim 8

The invention set forth in claim 6 including: a. a second pair of hydraulic motor means mounted on axially opposite sides of said housing means, each of said motor means having a shaft, b. a second power output shaft means journaled in said housing with its axis substantially parallel to the axis of said driven gear, the shafts of said second hydraulic motor means being coaxial and each shaft being coupled coaxially with said second output shaft means, and c. pinion means fixed to said second output shaft means and engageable with said driven gear.

Claim 9

The invention set forth in claim 6 wherein said housing means is supported on said shaft means and including: a. means cooperating with said gear housing means for resisting rotational movement of said housing means on said shaft means.

Claim 10

The invention set forth in claim 1 wherein: a. said housing means comprises a lower section and at least one section which is removable therefrom, b. the means which operatively connect the pinion gear with the motor means shafts including gear means and shafts on which said gear means are mounted, the last named shafts being journaled in said lower housing section, whereby the shafts and the gear means thereon may be exposed but may remain in place when said upper section is removed from the lower section.

Claim 11

A metallurgical vessel, a shaft mounted on said vessel and journaled for rotation on stationary support means: a. a driven gear fixed on said vessel shaft, b. housing meAns for said driven gear, said housing means comprising at least two sections at least one of which is separable from another that is relatively fixedly mounted, c. a power output shaft having pinion gear means fixed thereon and engageable in driving relation with said driven gear, said output shaft having its axis in parallelism with the axis of said driven gear and being journaled in said relatively fixedly mounted gear housing section, d. a pair of reversible motor means mounted respectively on axially opposite sides of said relatively fixedly mounted housing section, and e. means operatively coupling one of said motor means to said power output shaft on each of the opposite sides of said pinion gear whereby each of said motor means will normally apply substantially balanced driving forces to said output shaft so that the axis of said power output shaft will not deflect substantially from said parallelism with said axis of said driven gear and thereby minimize uneven wear on the teeth of said pinion and said driven gear.

Claim 12

A metallurgical vessel, a shaft mounted on said vessel and journaled for rotation on stationary support means: a. a driven gear fixed on said vessel shaft, b. housing meAns for said driven gear, said housing means comprising at least two sections at least one of which is separable from another that is relatively fixedly mounted, c. a power output shaft having pinion gear means fixed thereon and engageable in driving relation with said driven gear, said output shaft having its axis in parallelism with the axis of said driven gear and being journaled in said relatively fixedly mounted gear housing section, d. a pair of reversible motor means mounted respectively on axially opposite sides of said relatively fixedly mounted housing section, and e. means operatively coupling one of said motor means to said power output shaft on each of the opposite sides of said pinion gear whereby each of said motor means will normally apply substantially balanced driving forces to said output shaft so that the axis of said power output shaft will not deflect substantially from said parallelism with said axis of said driven gear and thereby minimize uneven wear on the teeth of said pinion and said driven gear.

Claim 13

The invention set forth in claim 10 wherein: a. said first pair of motor means are each hydraulic motors which have shafts that are coaxial with each other and with said power output shaft and which motor shafts are directly coupled to said output shaft.

Claim 14

The invention set forth in claim 10 including: a. a plurality of shafts journaled in said relatively fixedly mounted housing means section and in substantial parallelism with said power output shaft, b. said motor means in the first pair having their respective shafts coaxial and directed toward each other and coupled to respectively opposite ends of one of said last named shafts, c. said plurality of shafts having gear means fixed thereon and operatively coupling said one shaft to said power output shaft.

Claim 15

The invention set forth in claim 10 wherein: a. said relatively fixedly mounted housing section is hollow and adapted to contain lubricating fluid for bathing the shaft journals and gear means within said housing.

Claim 16

In a drive mechanism for a metallurgical vessel that has a generally horizontally extending shaft mounted thereon and journaled for rotation in a stationary support means: a. a driven gear fixed on said vessel shaft, b. housing means enclosing said driven gear, said housing means being supportingly journaled on said shaft, c. a plurality of reversible motor means supported in pairs from said gear housing means and on axially opposite sides thereof, the shafts of motors on one side being disposed in the opposite axial direction and coaxially with the shafts on the other side, d. a power input shaft journaled in said housing coaxially with said motor shafts, e. means coupling opposite ends of said input shaft to respectively opposite motor shafts for said motors normally to apply substantially balanced driving forces to said input shaft, f. axially spaced apart pairs of pinions fixed on said input shaft adjacent to where said input shaft is journaled said pinions thereby being arranged to transmit substantially balanced driving forces, g. an output shaft having its axis in substantial parallelism with said input shaft and having a pinion fixed thereon which is engaged with said driven gear, h. a pair of gears fixed on said output shaft adjacent axially opposite ends of said pinion, and i. a pair of gear trains operatively coupling each of said axially opposite gears on said output shaft respectively with a respective pinion on the input shaft, whereby both motor means in a pair may drive said driven gear and the driving forces on said output shaft will be substantially balanced to thereby minimize deflection of said output shaft so that the teeth on said output shaft pinion and the teeth on said driven gear will not wear or be loaded unevenly, and j. means cooperating with said housing means for resisting rotational movement of said housing means.

Claim 17

In a drive mechanism for a metallurgical vessel that has a generally horizontally extending shaft mounted thereon and journaled for rotation in a stationary support means: a. a driven gear fixed on said vessel shaft, b. housing means enclosing said driven gear, said housing means being supportingly journaled on said shaft, c. a plurality of reversible motor means supported in pairs from said gear housing means and on axially opposite sides thereof, the shafts of motors on one side being disposed in the opposite axial direction and coaxially with the shafts on the other side, d. a power input shaft journaled in said housing coaxially with said motor shafts, e. means coupling opposite ends of said input shaft to respectively opposite motor shafts for said motors normally to apply substantially balanced driving forces to said input shaft, f. axially spaced apart pairs of pinions fixed on said input shaft adjacent to where said input shaft is journaled said pinions thereby being arranged to transmit substantially balanced driving forces, g. an output shaft having its axis in substantial parallelism with said input shaft and having a pinion fixed thereon which is engaged with said driven gear, h. a pair of gears fixed on said output shaft adjacent axially opposite ends of said pinion, and i. a pair of gear trains operatively coupling each of said axially opposite gears on said output shaft respectively with a respective pinion on the input shaft, whereby both motor means in a pair may drive said driven gear and the driving forces on said output shaft will be substantially balanced to thereby minimize deflection of said output shaft so that the teeth on said output shaft pinion and the teeth on said driven gear will not wear or be loaded unevenly, and j. means cooperating with said housing means for resisting rotational movement of said housing means.

Claim 18

Apparatus comprisiNg: a. a metallurgical vessel having a pair of trunnion shafts affixed thereto and extending generally horizontally from diametrically opposite sides of said vessel, said trunnion shafts being journaled in stationary support means for supporting said vessel for rotation with said shafts, b. a driven gear fastened to one of said trunnion shafts, c. housing means supported on said shaft and enclosing at least a portion of said driven gear, said housing being mounted to permit rotation of said shaft within said housing, d. a pair of reversible motor means mounted on axially opposite sides of said housing means each of said motor means having a shaft, e. pinion gear means mounted in said housing means for rotation about an axis substantially parallel to the axes of said trunnion shafts, f. a first power input shaft journaled in said housing and means coupling said pair of motor means to said input shaft, g. individual means normally operatively connecting said first power input shaft to said driven gear to drive said driven gear simultaneously, said individual coupling means applying balanced torsional forces on said pinion gear whereby to avoid deflection thereof so that said pinion gear will not engage said driven gear unevenly.

Claim 19

Apparatus comprisiNg: a. a metallurgical vessel having a pair of trunnion shafts affixed thereto and extending generally horizontally from diametrically opposite sides of said vessel, said trunnion shafts being journaled in stationary support means for supporting said vessel for rotation with said shafts, b. a driven gear fastened to one of said trunnion shafts, c. housing means supported on said shaft and enclosing at least a portion of said driven gear, said housing being mounted to permit rotation of said shaft within said housing, d. a pair of reversible motor means mounted on axially opposite sides of said housing means each of said motor means having a shaft, e. pinion gear means mounted in said housing means for rotation about an axis substantially parallel to the axes of said trunnion shafts, f. a first power input shaft journaled in said housing and means coupling said pair of motor means to said input shaft, g. individual means normally operatively connecting said first power input shaft to said driven gear to drive said driven gear simultaneously, said individual coupling means applying balanced torsional forces on said pinion gear whereby to avoid deflection thereof so that said pinion gear will not engage said driven gear unevenly.

Claim 20

The invention set forth in claim 15 wherein: a. said driven gear has axially extending hubs on each side thereof, and b. said housing means is journaled on said hubs.

Claim 21

The invention set forth in claim 15 including: a. a second pair of reversible motor means mounted on axially opposite sides of said housing means, each of said motor means having a shaft, b. second power input shaft means journaled in said housing means and coupled to both of said second motor means shafts, and c. individual means normally operatively connecting said second power input shaft means to said driven gear whereby either or both of said second motor means in a pair may drive said driven gear individually or simultaneously, respectively.

Claim 22

The invention set forth in claim 17 wherein: a. said housing means comprises a lower section and at least one section which is removable therefrom, b. the means which operatively connect the driven gear with the first and second power input shaft means including gear means and shafts on which said gear means are mounted, the last named shafts being journaled in said lower housing section, whereby the shafts and the gear means thereon may be exposed but may remain in place when said upper section is removed from the lower section.

Claim 23

The invention set forth in claim 15 including: a. brake means coupled to each of said motor means for selectively stopping said vessel in a plurality of angular positions and maintaining said vessel in said position.

Claim 24

The invention set forth in claim 15 wherein: a. said motor means comprise electric motors.