Hot Coke Transfer System

Abstract

A system for transferring hot coke includes novel apparatus for sealing a hopper of a hot coke transfer car. Also, collecting and scrubbing systems are provided to prevent the emission of fumes and particulate matter to the atmosphere during the period from coke pushing to coke quenching at a car dumping area.

Description

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to coke ovens generally and, more particularly, to an improved hot coke transport vehicle or transfer car. In accordance with the present invention, a finely woven wire mesh screen, suitably supported transversely, is wound on a large reel, and the screen can be pulled down over an opening in the top of a hot coke transfer car to prevent the emission of fumes and particulate matter.

A traction car or traction vehicle is coupled to the transport vehicle or transfer car and carries gas scrubbing equipment that exhausts the fumes and particulate matter from the interior of the transfer car; ambient air, being drawn in through the wire mesh screen, displaces the fumes and also cools the wire mesh screen through which it passes.

For a further understanding of the invention and for features and advantages thereof, reference may be made to the following description and the drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of equipment in accordance with the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic elevational view of a hot coke transfer car and traction car in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic elevational view of the hot coke transfer car;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the transfer car along line III--III of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view along line IV--IV of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view, at an enlarged scale, along line V--V of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the traction car of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, there is illustrated schematically a hot coke transport vehicle or transfer car 11, and a traction vehicle or traction car 13 which are coupled together by means of cooperating conventional railroad car couplers 15. Both cars 11, 13 are mounted for movement along rails 17 that are disposed parallel to the coke side of a conventional coke oven (not shown).

The hot coke transport vehicle or transfer car 11, as shown in FIGS. 2-5, includes a refractory lined hopper 19, rectangular in shape, with a sloping bottom portion 21 that terminates in a pair of hinged, pivotable gates 23, 25, to which is connected a rotatable linkage system 27 for opening and closing the pivotable gates 23, 25. Further, the hot coke transfer car includes a flat top portion 28 to which is affixed a hood 29 having a sloping top edge, as shown in FIG. 3. At the right-hand end of the transfer car 11, as shown in FIG. 2, there is mounted a support structure 31 for a set of shoes 33 that contact electrified collector rails 35 that are a part of an electrical interlock system between the coke guide hood and the hot coke transfer car 11.

At the left-hand end of the transfer car 11, as shown in FIG. 2, there is a rectangular-shaped terminal end 37 of an inclined, refractory-lined, hot air duct 39. The terminal end 37 is also refractory lined and communicates with the interior of the hopper portion 19. The inclined refractory-lined duct 39 is supported at about its mid-length by a vertical stanchion 41, as shown in FIG. 2.

A large reel 43 of conventional form is mounted to a shaft 45 that is journaled in bearings 47. The bearings 47 are fixed to a support structure 49 so that the reel 43 is free to rotate. A sprocket 51 is fixed to the shaft 45 and a motor 53, acting through a speed reducer 55, turns a smaller sprocket 57. A flexible driving chain 59 is looped around both sprockets 51, 57 for rotating the reel 43.

The side plates 61, 63 of the reel are provided at their periphery with teeth 65 which coact with endless roller chains 67 that encircle the plates 61, 63 and also smaller sprockets 69, 71 journaled on a shaft 73; the shaft 73 being mounted to structure 75 that is fixed to the top 28 of the hopper portion 19.

The top edges of the hood 29, those that extend transversely of the transfer car 11, are shaped as shown in FIG. 4. To the vertical side plate 77 there is fastened, as by welding, a first angle member 79 and overtop of the outwardly extending leg of the angle member 79, there is mounted a second angle member 81. The shorter leg of the second angle member is disposed between two layers 83, 85 of refractory material lining the interior of the hood 29, forming a hood opening 87.

The opening 87 in the hood portion 19 is covered by a flexible, wire mesh, metal curtain 89, such as that made and marketed by Audobon Metalwove Belt Division, of Manganese Steel Forge Co., Phildelphia, Pa., which curtain is made preferably of stainless steel.

The wire mesh metal curtain 89 is provided with a plurality of upper rectangular bars 91 and a plurality of lower rectangular bars 93 which are secured to the curtain material 89, disposed therebetween, by means of a plurality of U-bolts 95. It will be noticed from FIG. 4, that the lower rectangular bars 93 do not extend beyond the perimeter of the hood 29, as do the upper rectangular bars 91.

The outer ends of the upper rectangular bars 91 carry a plurality of pairs of angle clips 97, 99 arranged in spaced-apart relation about as shown in FIG. 4. The angle clips 97, 99 are secured by bolts 101 to the upper rectangular bar 91, and the chain 67 is fastened by a pin, or other fastener 103, to the pair of angle clips 97, 99. The chain 67, as mentioned previously, is looped endlessly around the larger side plates 61, 63, which are sprockets that have cooperating teeth 65 thereon, and around the smaller sprockets 69, 71.

FIG. 5 illustrates a control mechanism 105 which regulates the travel of the wire mesh metal curtain 89 over the hood opening 87. The control mechanism 105 comprises a bell-crank 107, fixed as by a key 109 to the outwardly projecting end portion of shaft 45, and a conventional electrical control box 111, having an upstanding arm 113 and a contact roller 115 that coacts with the bell-crank 107. The control box 111 is suitably mounted to a platform 117 extending outwardly from the support structure 49.

The traction vehicle or traction car, also known as the scrubber car 13, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 6, includes a cyclone separator 119, an exhaust fan 121 driven by an electric motor 123, and an electrical control room 125, and venturi or wet scrubber 128.

The cyclone separator 119 is located on the car frame about where shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, and it receives fumes and particle-laden gases from the transfer car 11; the fumes and particle-laden gases are carried from the transfer car 11 through the hot air duct 39. A muff-like connector 126 effects a gas-tight joining of the hot air duct 39 and a connecting duct 127 on the scrubber car 13 that communicates with the separator 119, as shown. The connecting duct 127 is provided with a plurality of water spray nozzles 129 as shown, and a system of water piping 131 carries water from a water supply tank 133, located beneath the separator 119, to the spray nozzles 129. A vertical water fill pipe 135 is mounted to the scrubber car 13 in a location adjacent the water supply tank 133, and a conduit 137 connects the fill pipe 135 with the water supply tank 133.

Cleaned gases emerge from the cyclone separator 119 in a duct 139 that carries the cleaned gases through the exhaust fan 121 and thence to the atmosphere by means of an exhaust stack 41.

The traction car or scrubber car 13 is also provided with an operator's cab 143 that is offset toward one side of the car, as shown in FIG. 6, from which an operator can control the operation of the transfer car 11 and the traction car 13.

In operation, the transfer car 11 is moved by the traction car 13 toward and is spotted at a coke oven chamber that is to be pushed. The curtain 89 is rolled up on the large reel 43, thereby uncovering the opening 87 in the hood 29. Control box 111 of the control mechanism 105 is, of course, operated by the bell-crank 107 to stop the reel when the curtain 89 has uncovered the opening 87 and also when the curtain has again covered the opening.

A coke guide, having a suitable hood for preventing fumes and gases containing particulate matter from escaping to the atmosphere, is positioned at the coke oven. Then, when all is ready for pushing, the pushed hot coke gravitates into the coke transfer car hopper portion 19.

Immediately, the pushing of coke stops, the hood device of the coke guide is retracted, and the motor-driven reel 43 is actuated to move the curtain downward and over the opening in the hood, and the control mechanism 105 stops the reel from rotating when the opening is covered. The exhaust fan 121 has been running continually so that the fumes and particle-laden gases are removed from the hopper of the transfer car. The fumes and gases pass through the conduits 39 and 127 wherein they are sprayed with water to cool them, and thence they flow into the venturi or wet scrubber and then into the cyclonic separator. Clean gases that emerge from the separator then exhaust to the atmosphere through the stack.

It should be noted that the exhaust fan pulls ambient air into the hopper portion of the transfer car through the wire mesh curtain, thereby cooling it so that it is not necessary to provide any other cooling for the curtain. Whatever heat from the hot coke reaches the wire mesh screen is not sufficient to distort the screen which retains its stability and shape. The wire mesh screen is adaptable to the large reel and it is flexible enough to be easily wrapped around the reel; the screen being supported transversely of the reel by the upper and lower rectangular bars.

Although the invention has been described herein with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only as an example, and that the scope of the invention is defined by what is hereinafter claimed.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A system for receiving and transferring hot coke pushed from a coke oven comprising:

a. a first vehicle that is movable along one side of said coke oven and that has a hopper thereon for receiving and holding said hot coke when pushed from a chamber of said coke oven, said hopper being lined with refractory material;

b. a hood on said hopper having an opening through which said hot coke passes;

c. a wire mesh screen that is movable into one position to close said opening in said hopper and that is movable into another position to open said hood;

d. means for conducting gases arising from said coke away from said hopper; and

e. a second vehicle couples to said first vehicle and supporting means for scrubbing and cleaning said gases.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein:

a. said means for opening and for closing said hood includes:

i. a power-driven reel on which said flexible element is supported when said hood is open, and

ii. means for actuating said power-driven reel and moving said flexible element onto said hood and covering the opening therein.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein:

a. said power-driven reel cooperates with said wire mesh screen for moving it onto and off of said hood, thereby closing and opening said hood.

4. A system for receiving and transferring hot coke pushed from a coke oven comprising:

a. a first vehicle that is movable along one side of said coke oven, said vehicle including:

i. a hopper for receiving and holding said hot coke,

ii. a hood on said hopper having an opening covered by a movable flexible element through which said coke passes into said hopper, said element including a wire mesh screen that admits ambient air into said hood to replace gases exhausted therefrom;

iii. means on said hopper for opening said hood to pass said coke therethrough and for closing said hood after said coke has passed into said hopper, including a reel which carries said wire mesh screen when said hood is opened,

iv. power means for operating said reel whereby said wire mesh screen moves from said reel into a position closing said opening and from said position onto said reel thereby opening said opening;

v. conduit means for conducting gases arising from said coke away from said hopper, and

vi. means for dumping said coke from said hopper;

b. a second vehicle connected to and movable with said first vehicle, said second vehicle including:

i. a gas scrubber for receiving and cleaning said gases,

ii. conduit means connected to the conduit means on said first vehicle and to said gas scrubber for conducting said gases thereinto,

iii. means for exhausting said gases from said hopper through said conduit means and through said gas scrubber, and

iv. power means for moving said second vehicle and said first vehicle; and

c. means for cooling said gases after they leave said hopper.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein:

a. said means for exhausting said gases includes a fan mounted to said second vehicle and communicating with said conduit means.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein:

a. said means for cooling said gases includes water sprays mounted in said conduit means.

7. The system of claim 6 including:

a. a supply of water carried by one of said vehicles; and

b. pump and conduit means for conveying said water from said supply to said water sprays.

8. A system for receiving and transferring hot coke pushed from a coke oven comprising:

a. a vehicle that is movable along one side of said coke oven, said vehicle including:

i. a hopper having a refractory lining for receiving and holding said hot coke,

ii. a hood on said hopper having an opening through which said coke passes,

iii. a wire mesh screen coacting with said hood for opening and closing said opening,

iv. means on the bottom of said hopper for dumping said hot coke,

v. a powered reel on said hood which carries said wire mesh screen when said hood is opened,

vi. means for carrying away from said hopper gases arising from hot coke pushed from said coke oven thereinto,

vii. gas scrubber means movable along said one side of said coke oven that receives said gases carried away from said hopper,

viii. an exhaust fan associated with said gas scrubber means for withdrawing said gases from said hopper and for pulling ambient air through said wire mesh screen into said hopper, and

ix. means for cooling said gases outside of said hopper.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein:

a. said means for carrying gases away from said hopper is a conduit; and wherein

b. said means for cooling said gases is a plurality of water sprays in said conduit; and including

c. a supply of water available for cooling said gases, and

d. pump and conduit means for carrying said water to said spray nozzles.

10. In a system for receiving and transporting hot coke pushed from a coke oven, the improvement comprising:

a. a hopper for receiving and holding said hot coke, mounted on a vehicle that is movable along one side of said coke oven, said hopper having:

i. a hood with an opening therein through which said hot coke passes into said hopper,

ii. a refractory lining in said hopper and on the sides of said hood,

iii. conduit means communicating with said hopper for carrying therefrom gases arising from said hot coke, and

iv. pivotal bottom door means for dumping said hot coke;

b. a reel mounted to said hopper;

c. a flexible member for covering said opening, coacting with said reel when said opening is open to pass said hot coke therethrough;

d. a sprocket mounted to said hopper is spaced apart relation to said reel, with

e. an endless flexible chain looped around said reel and said sprocket and connected to said flexible member; and

f. means for rotating said reel whereby said flexible member is moved into position covering said opening, and is moved into position coacting with said reel when said hood is open.

11. The improvement of claim 10 wherein:

a. said flexible member is a wire mesh screen.

12. The improvement of claim 11 wherein:

a. said wire mesh screen is provided with supporting members that coact with the sides of said hood and with said reel.

13. The improvement of claim 12 including:

a. means mounted to said screen supporting members that coact with said chain whereby when said chain moves so does said screen.

14. The improvement of claim 10 wherein:

a. said means for rotating said reel includes an electric motor connected to a speed reducer having an output sprocket around which is looped a drive chain coacting with a sprocket on said reel for turning said reel.