Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
190 words
A turning mechanism for the movement of casting ladles in a steel mill comprising a turning member mounted to turn about a vertical shaft and carrying two diametrically opposite arms, each arm having a first end rotatably mounted on a horizontal shaft carried by the turning member and a forked end remote from said turning member, two support members for each ladle, each support member defining a seat adapted to receive a projection from said ladle, the lower part of each support member being mounted to turn on a horizontal shaft supported by one of said forked ends, a rod associated with each support member, one end of each rod being pivotally connected to said turning member for rotation about a horizontal axis and the other end of each rod being pivotally connected to the support member with which it is associated, whereby said turning member combines with said arms, rods and support members to form parallelogram linkages maintaining said individual support members in a generally vertical position during swinging movement of said arms, and fluid-pressure operated jacks connected between said turning member and said arms to swing said arms.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
190 words
A turning mechanism for the movement of casting ladles in a steel mill comprising a turning member mounted to turn about a vertical shaft and carrying two diametrically opposite arms, each arm having a first end rotatably mounted on a horizontal shaft carried by the turning member and a forked end remote from said turning member, two support members for each ladle, each support member defining a seat adapted to receive a projection from said ladle, the lower part of each support member being mounted to turn on a horizontal shaft supported by one of said forked ends, a rod associated with each support member, one end of each rod being pivotally connected to said turning member for rotation about a horizontal axis and the other end of each rod being pivotally connected to the support member with which it is associated, whereby said turning member combines with said arms, rods and support members to form parallelogram linkages maintaining said individual support members in a generally vertical position during swinging movement of said arms, and fluid-pressure operated jacks connected between said turning member and said arms to swing said arms.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
52 words
A mechanism according to claim 1 in which the said jack can be supplied from two pressure sources, one being relatively small to ensure a relatively rapid stroke and the other more powerful to ensure a slow stroke but which is reliable even in the case of damage to the said bearings.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
66 words
A mechanism according to claim 1 in which the said jacks extend obliquely upwards and are pivotally connected to the said turning member and the said arms and in which the jacks are pivotally attached to said turning member in the vicinity of the upper portion of the said member at a distance from the casting floor which is greater than the height of a man.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
A mechanism according to claim 3 in which the casting floor supports above the said turning member a generally cylindrical refractory wall.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
55 words
A turning mechanism as claimed in claim 1 in which each of said forked ends defines two parallel tines, each tine being itself forked to define a pair of lugs, and each pair of lugs supports the two ends of a horizontal shaft on which the lower part of a support member is pivotally mounted.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
A turning mechanism as claimed in claim 5 in which said jacks engage a toothed ring fixed to and encircling said turning member.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
A mechanism according to claim 6 in which the said ring is split to form two rings arranged one above the other.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
29 words
A mechanism according to claim 1 in which said rods are all mounted to turn about a common shaft positioned centrally in the upper end of the turning member.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
56 words
A turning mechanism as claimed in claim 1 in which said turning member comprises a rigid vertical tube mounted on said vertical shaft by means of a first radial bearing near the base of said shaft, a second radial bearing near the top of said shaft and a thrust bearing at the top of said shaft.