Abstract: A plant for a smelting reduction process for pig iron production using coal and oxygen-containing gas is obtained by converting an existing blast furnace plant by replacing the blast furnace by apparatus including at least one metallurgical vessel for carrying out the smelting reduction process, while retaining at least partly at least one of the following components of the existing blast furnace plant:i) storage bins for iron oreii) storage bins for coke, as storage bins for coaliii) a casting house, for tapping of the metallurgical vesseliv) a gas discharge system for hot gas including dedusting means,v) a cooling water supply system.

Abstract: A method of removing furnace deposit in a non-ferrous smelting furnace, comprising the steps of inserting a lance 2 provided with a spray nozzle 4 at the tip thereof from a furnace ceiling into a furnace; spraying a reducing agent from the spray nozzle 4 at the tip of the lance toward a molten deposit mainly comprising oxides adhering to a furnace wall surface of a non-ferrous smelting furnace by turning the lance within a prescribed angular range and vertically moving the lance within a prescribed range; reducing the molten deposit into a low-melting-point slag; causing the slag to flow; and discharging the slag together with furnace slag to outside the furnace.

Abstract: A submerged nozzle replacing device comprises a slide valve device 6 for controlling the amount of outflow of molten metal flowing out of a molten metal container, a holding cylinder 21 for a submerged nozzle 9 supported in a vertical posture below the slide valve device, and a guide bar 33 having a pair of parallely provided rail members 33a supported in a horizontal posture by a piston rod of the cylinder, and fitted onto a nozzle case 10 at the upper end of the submerged nozzle 9 to hold the nozzle case 10, wherein a guide 32 extending beyond the region of a mold 12 is provided on one side of the slide valve device 6, and a jig holding member 52 for detachably holding a submerged nozzle holding jig 57 is mounted movably on a rail 51 running in the longitudinal direction of the guide 32.

Abstract: A method of removing slag and/or steel build-up from lances in steel making furnaces includes blasting dry ice (solid CO.sub.2) pellets on to a hot lance as it is being drawn out of a furnace. A refractory or ceramic coating may be applied to the lance while it is being inserted into the furnace.

Abstract: A push-pull apparatus includes a machine base, and a coupling unit having a retractable main frame disposed on top of the machine base and longitudinally movable in forward and rearward directions relative to the machine base, and a coupler mounted on a front end of the main frame and adapted to be extended into a ring retainer on a wall member to engage a tubular body that is fitted into the ring retainer. An extension unit is mounted on the machine base and is connected to the coupling unit. The extension unit is operable so as to move the coupling unit relative to the machine base. An impact unit is provided on the coupling unit. A drive unit is mounted on the coupling unit and is operable so as to move the impact unit along the coupling unit in order to enable the impact unit to impact a selected one of the front and rear ends of the main frame and generate at the coupler one of a pushing force for assembling the tubular body and a pulling force for disassembling the tubular body.

Abstract: Process for reusing the plates of a slide gate for a metallurgical container. The gate has an upper indentation and a lower indentation for receiving a set of two refractory plates, each of these plates resting in an indentation by a face that becomes its support face and cooperating with the other plate by a face that becomes its characterized sliding face. A set of refractories comprised of a new plate associated with a plate that had been used once is used in the slide gate (2), and in that when the plates (12, 16) are changed the new plate is mounting in a lower or upper charging indentation (14, 18), this indentation remaining the same at the same at each plate change, the plate used once being mounted in the other indentation, which forms a recycling indentation.

Abstract: A submerged nozzle change device has a slide valve unit 3 which is provided in a molten-metal outlet formed in a lower portion of a molten-metal containing vessel 1 for controlling the outflow of a molten metal. A pair of guide rails 26 for slidably suspending and supporting a holding case 6 mounted on an upper end of a submerged nozzle 5 are swingably supported on the slide valve unit 3 so that one end of each of the guide rails can be pivotally moved upwards and downwards about a shaft 21 while being biased upwards. On the free ends of the guide rails 24, there is provided a pushing cylinder 30 for pushing a new submerged nozzle 51 set on the guide rails 26 to push an old submerged nozzle 52 to the opposite side.

Abstract: A gas blast nozzle for a furnace for processing molten metal has a prolonged service life and is free from gas leakage. The nozzle comprises a refractory block having a narrow straight bore and a small metal pipe slidably arranged in the straight bore. A gas is blown by the small metal pipe. When the gas blast nozzle is partially worn, the small metal pipe is moved upwardly to project into the furnace and the worn area is filled with a refractory material.

Abstract: A hydraulic cylinder 41 of a second driver 40 brings both a scraper 20 and a first driver 30 into integrally movable relation so that the scraper 20 is caused to intrude into an uptake 10 of a furnace via an opening 14 defined on a vertical wall of the uptake 10, and an accretion removing pawl 21 is positioned on a horizontal wall surface 12 of the uptake 10. Subsequently, a hydraulic cylinder 31 of the first driver 30 moves the scraper 20 on the horizontal wall surface 12 to scrape off any accretion having occurred thereon. The accretion thus scraped is blown off the horizontal wall surface 12 by pressurized air supplied from a pressurized air-supplying source connected to a flange 27.

Abstract: A plant for a smelting reduction process for pig iron production using coal and oxygen-containing gas is obtained by converting an existing blast furnace plant by replacing the blast furnace by apparatus including at least one metallurgical vessel for carrying out the smelting reduction process, while retaining at least partly at least one of the following components of the existing blast furnace plant:i) storage bins for iron oreii) storage bins for coke, as storage bins for coaliii) a casting house, for tapping of the metallurgical vesseliv) a gas discharge system for hot gas including dedusting means,v) a cooling water supply system.

Abstract: The present invention provides a recycle slide gate plate, said slide gate plate being connected to a lower portion of a molten metal container and used for sliding a plate to control a flow of molten metal drained from the molten metal container, comprising an upper plate and/or a lower plate obtained by polishing a sliding surface of a slide gate plate used at least one time, at a predetermined smoothness tolerance, a tubular ring fixed to a through hole obtained by cutting out a molten metal outlet portion of the upper plate and/or the lower plate having a projecting portion on a side opposite to a sliding surface of the upper plate and/or the lower plate, said projecting portion having a total height of a sum of a height dimension substantially equal to a height of a projecting portion of a new plate before use and a thickness dimension to be reduced by polishing out the sliding surface, the projecting portion being provided with a molten metal outlet hole formed inside the projecting portion, and a cushi

Abstract: A submerged nozzle changing apparatus comprises: a slide valve device (32) for controlling the rate of discharge of a molten metal from a molten metal container (30) a nozzle holding cylinder actuator (42) supported in a vertical position under the slide valve device; and a guide arm unit (44) supported on the piston rod (43) of the nozzle holding cylinder actuator in a horizontal position. The guide arm unit (44) has a pair of parallel guide rails (45) provided in their inner surfaces facing each other with guide grooves (46) having open opposite ends and a length long enough to hold at least three nozzle cases (48) fitted on the upper parts of submerged nozzles (47). A new submerged nozzle is supported on the guide arm unit with portions of a nozzle case fitted on the upper part thereof engaged in the guide grooves of the pair of guide rails and is moved to a nozzle setting position by a nozzle changing cylinder actuator (56).

Abstract: The procedure for manufacturing fireproof crucibles for steel-processing ladles, in which aluminum deoxidation is carried out for the total quenching of liquid steel, is such that a monolithically hardening fireproof mass with a proportion of silicon dioxide is placed between the inside wall of the ladle and a reusable plug that is installed therein. After the plug has been removed, the ladle is put into use again, at which time a layer that contains alumina builds up on the hot side of the fireproof crucible and a highly sintered layer of greater hardness forms behind this. It is intended that a procedure such as this should simplify the reestablishment of the fireproof lining when the limits of use are reached, in view of the use of a layer that contains alumina and the highly sintered layer located behind this on the inside wall of the crucible.

Abstract: A submerged nozzle mounting/dismounting apparatus for mounting a submerged nozzle (9) on and dismounting the same from a slide valve device (5) of a molten metal vessel (1) of a continuous casting system, is provided with a submerged nozzle holding mechanism (25) having support arms (27) for holding the submerged nozzle pressed against the slide valve device through mounting pins (13) on the upper part of the submerged nozzle. For automated operation to eliminate all kinds of heavy physical work in a hot environment, the submerged nozzle mounting/dismounting apparatus comprises a slide base (32) laterally slidably mounted for positional adjustment relative to the support arms (27) on a robot arm (21) supported for turning on a stand. A submerged nozzle hanger (40) is provided for supporting the submerged nozzle via support pins (14) projecting from the submerged nozzle. The hanger (40) is pivotally supported for turning in a vertical plane on the slide base.

Abstract: A cartridge handling hand of a cartridge system sliding valve apparatus for a molten metal vessel is mountable to a general purpose robot. The hand includes a cartridge pressing cylinder secured to a mounting plate whose one side surface is provided with a device for mounting a carrier arm. A first pair of cylinder support arms for lock pins and a second pair of support arms are attached vertically to the other side surface of the mounting plate. Lock pins are attached to piston rod ends of cylinders which are secured to the cylinder support arms 2. Cartridge clamp arms are slidably fitted into guide pins provided vertically in the outside of the second pair of support arms. The cartridge clamp arms are coupled through a cylinder which opens or closes the arms. A cartridge system sliding valve apparatus includes positioning metal fittings for interfitting with the lock pins of the cartridge handling hand of the invention and positioning pins which fit in the positioning recesses of a cartridge.

Abstract: A slide gate plate serving as a molten metal flow-rate control member for use in a molten metal discharging device, comprising an assembly of at least one stationary plate having a nozzle hole therein and a slide plate having a nozzle hole therein, the plates being designed so that one of the plates is thicker than the other plate by 1.5 mm or more. With this construction, the slide gate plate is reusable by polishing the sliding face off a worn plate for reuse.

Abstract: A smelt spout cleaner apparatus includes a cleaning head insertable into a smelt spout and movable in a substantially linear path along the smelt spout for thoroughly cleaning the spout. The cleaning head is mounted on one end of a substantially horizontal beam, the opposite end of which is supported in cantilever fashion to a support base which is selectably movable. The support base includes means for longitudinally translating the beam and causing the cleaning head to move in a linear path along the length of the smelt spout.

Abstract: An emergency blank shutting off device for conveying and exchanging pouring tubes sliding along guide-rails (6,7) determining a first trajectory is intended to ensure the immediate and tight stop of a casting operation in case of emergency. It comprises a carrier on which an emergency blank re-fractory plate (8) is set and actuated along a second trajectory which crosses over the first trajectory, from a readiness position (14), off the second trajectory to an alert position (15) on a zone overlapping the two trajectories adjacent to the operating position of a pouring tube (3) in the pouring axis.

Abstract: An adjustable form used for forming or repairing a refractory lining includes an adjustable frame constructed from a plurality of intersecting beams, at least some of which are adjustable, and a form connected to the adjustable frame. The frame can be adjusted in at least one direction and, preferably, in more than one direction. By properly adjusting the frame, the adjustable form can be used to form a refractory lining in different metal containment devices varying in dimensions, and can also be used to repair existing refractory linings. The adjustable form is inserted into a metal containment device at a distance from the floor and walls of the metal containment device, and refractory material is poured into the space between the adjustable form and the metal containment device.