US3757484A - Automated bricklaying device - Google Patents

Abstract

An automated bricklaying device for laying out the refractory brick lining of a metal pouring ladle having an upright frame means mounted on a mounting means for traversing the interior circumference of the ladel. A platform means, which has a delivery means mounted thereon for reciprocal lateral movement, is carried by the upright frame means for substantially vertical movement within the ladle. The delivery means continuously delivers a series of refractory bricks in turn to the circumference of the ladle to be set as the lining thereof. A positioning and indexing means properly positions each brick in turn in the lining as it is delivered from the delivery means. The positioning and indexing means additionally serves to index the upright frame means to a proper position for placement of the next succeeding brick in the lining. A vertical guidance means on the delivery means provides vertical elevational control of the platform means relative to the built up lining.

Description

United States Patent 1 Williamson et al.

1 Sept. 11, 1973 AUTOMATED BRICKLAYING DEVICE Primary Examiner-Price C. Faw, Jr. [75] Inventors: Ronald Eugene wimamson Attorney-Eldon H. Luther. Richard H. Bernelke Hammondsville; Sidney Clark et Porter, Jr., East Liverpool, both of [57] ABSTRACT Ohio; i Fredenc Shomng An automated bricklaying device for laying out the re- Coraopolis, Pa. f v ractory brick lining of a metal pouring ladle having an [73] Assignee: Combustion Engineering, Inc,, upright frame means mounted on a mounting means for Wind or, Co traversing the interior circumference of the ladel. A platform means, which has a delivery means mounted [22] May 1972 thereon for reciprocal lateral movement, is carried by [211 App]. No.: 253,546 the upright frame means for substantially vertical movement within the ladle. The delivery means continuously delivers a series of refractory bricks in turn to [52] US. Cl. 52/749, 52/747 the circumference of the ladle to be Set as the lining [51] Int. Cl. E04g 21/22, 865g 37/00 thereof A osmonin and indexin means to er [58] 'Field of Search 52/749 747 p g p sitions each brick in turn in the lll'llflg as it IS delivered from the delivery means. The positioning and indexing [56] References cued means additionally serves to index the upright frame UNTED STATES PATENTS means to a proper position for placement of the next 3,039,233 6/1962 Holmes 52/749 succeeding brick in the lining. A vertical guidance 3,287,875 11/1966 Laki" means on the delivery means provides vertical eleva- 3,439,794 4/1969 Park et al. 52/749 X tiona] control of the platform means relative to the 3,550,344 12/1970 Maler et al. 52/749 bum up lining 3,646,722 3/1972 Salmi 52/749X 34 Claims, 16 Drawing Figures 2 7 IQ'J B2 7' as l 2o\ i' 72.

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PATENTEDSEPWW 3' 157 484 sum 07 0F 11 PMENTEBSEPHW finsm'aa sum usur11 AUTOMATED BRICKLAYING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the making of steel a ladle is required for receiving molten steel from the steel-making furnace, the ladle serving to transport the steel from the furnace to the area in which ingots or castings are made. These ladles must have some means to prevent the molten steel from penetrating to the outer metal sheath of the ladle and as such require a refractory lining. The refractory lining must exhibit the characteristics of being readily adaptable to conform to the shape of the ladle and the ability to withstand widely fluctuating temperatures and erosive action of the molten steel. Since the ladle is moved and tilted about its supporting axis, the lining must be so cohesive to remain in place during movement, yet be capable of being easily removed for repair or replacement.

Ladle linings are presently formed by building up individual refractory blocks in a close fitting pattern. The blocks generally used are curved convexly at one end and concavely at the other, with the chordal plane through the cylindrically curved ends of each form of block not having the same angular relation. By this construction a standard refractory block may be used to build a lining for ladles of varying sizes and varying shapes. This arrangement is shown in U. S. Pat. No. 3,140,333 to W. T. Tredennick.

In forming the ladle lining, the refractory blocks have been placed within the ladle by hand by unskilled 1aborers generally taking from l664 manhours per ladle. Even though the blocks are uniform so that little skill is involved, this use of manual labor adds considerably to the overall cost of steel manufacture. This expense is compounded by the fact that the ladle lining will only last through approximately 20 charges from the steel-making furnace before the lining must be replaced. This requires that the ladle be taken out of service for lining replacement after only several days operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION There is herein provided an apparatus for automating the laying of refractory bricks within a metal pouring ladle to serve as the working lining thereof, thereby reducing the time necessary for relining as well as the cost. A delivery means, for delivering a series of refractory bricks in turn to the circumference of the ladle to be set as the lining thereof, is supported inside the ladle by a support means. The support means permits of the delivery means longitudinal movement along, reciprocal lateral movement relative to, and revolutional movement about an axis thereof positioned within and substantially parallel to the axis of the ladle to be lined. A brick positioning means is associated with the delivery means and is provided for positioning and firmly setting each brick in turn in the lining as it is delivered to the circumference of the ladle. The delivery means and the brick positioning means are moved longitudinally along, laterally relative to and revolutionary about the axis of the support means by an operating means so as to position the delivery means and brick positioning means relative to the circumference of the ladle. A control means controllably operates this operating means after a brick has been positioned in place in the lining so as to properly position the delivery means and brick positioning means for the placement of the next succeeding brick in the lining.

With such an apparatus, a ladle may be lined in 3-4 hours. Also, only one man is required to operate the bricklaying device.

Although this automated bricklaying device was developed for use in lining metal pouring ladles, it will be apparent from the description hereinbelow that the device is readily adaptable to reline any type of vessel in which relining is periodically required.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of the automated bricklaying device according to the present invention positioned within a ladle shell;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation view, partly in section, taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1 with a portion thereof removed;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the automated bricklaying device taken along line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an elevation view, partly in section, taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a detailed section view of the conveyor indexing mechanism according to the present invention taken along line 55 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the brick gripper according to the present invention;

FIG. 7 is an elevation view of a portion of the conveyor assembly taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 11;

FIGS. 8A and 8B are diagrammatic representations showing the operation of the brick gripper according to the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a front elevation view of the conveyor assembly taken alongline 9--9 of FIG. 10;

FIGS. 10, 11 and 12 are detailed plan views of a portion of the conveyor assembly showing the sequential operations according to the present invention in laying a brick in the lining of the ladle;

FIG. 13 is a detailed view showing the actuation of a limit switch utilized in the control of the present inven- DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 2 show anautomated bricklaying device 20 positioned within ametal pouring ladle 22. Theladle 22 is comprised of asteel shell 24 with asafety lining 26 forming the interior thereof. Within thesafety lining 26 is a workinglining 28 which is periodically damaged and eroded during the steel-making process and needs to be replaced. It is the replacement of this workinglining 28 to which theparticular bricklaying device 20 of this invention is concerned.

The automated bricklaying machine is comprised of three separate assemblies such that it may be installed and removed from the ladle in three pieces or sections, or alternatively it may be installed or removed as a unit. These three assemblies are thesupport assembly 30, theelevator frame assembly 64, and thecarriage assembly 90. Thesupport assembly 30, as depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2, is a turntable mechanism comprised of alower platen 32 supported on the floor of theladle 22 by means of levelingscrews 40 mounted inflanges 38 spaced about the periphery of theplaten 32 and anupper platen 34 having a central downwardly extendingshaft 36 journaled inbearing 35 on thelower platen 32. Theupper platen 34 is supported from thelower platen 32 for rotation relative thereto about theshaft 36 by a plurality ofrollers 44 intermittently spaced about and journaled in anupright ring 42 positioned at the periphery of thelower platen 32. Anannular gear ring 46 having outwardly extending gear teeth is centrally located on the lower platen by an inner locatingring 48 for engaging apinion gear 50 having a shaft 52 journaled in abearing 54 of theupper platen 34. Asprocket 56 is rigidly fixed to the shaft 52 above theplaten 34 and is connected to arotary air motor 60 by a chain 58 for rotating thepinion gear 50 which in turn will rotate theupper platen 34 relative to thelower platen 32.

Theelevator frame assembly 64 is comprised of two spaced T-shaped standards 65 formed by joining together arectangular beam 66 and aflat plate 67 as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. Each of thestandards 65 has integrally attached thereto at its lower end a connectingcouple 68 whose inner surface conforms identically to the outer surface oflugs 62 provided on theplaten 34, thelugs 62 serving to support the elevator frame assembly at an angle conforming to theslope of theladle wall 24. Apin 69 passes through thelugs 62 and the connectingbases 68 to hold the standards in place.Standards 65 are interconnected and held in spaced relation by atie bar 70 at the bottom, anX-brace 72 near the top and atie bar support 80 at the top, thesupport 80 having liftingholes 88 for introducing into or removing from theladle 22, either theelevatorframe assembly 64 or theentire bricklaying device 20. A hoistmotor support 76 integrally attached to thestandards 65 extends laterally outward from the elevator frame assembly and supports a rotary air actuated hoist motor 78thereon. Acable 86 extending from the hoistmotor 78 passes oversheaves 81 separated bysheave spacers 83 of the upper and lower'hoist blocks 82 and 84, the upper hoist bloek82 being supported from thetie bar support 80 and the lower hoistblock 84 being supported by thecable 86. Actuation of the hoistair motor 78 will effectuate either a lowering or raising of the lower hoistblock 84. v

Thecarriage platform assembly 90 is carried by theelevator frame assembly 64 in such a manner so as to be vertically movable within theladle 22. Thecarriage assembly 90 hashorizontal base members 94 supporting aplatform 92. Two carriage upright supports 96 extend upward fromthelbase members 94 inclined relative to the plate at an anglesubstantially equal to the incline angle of the ladle andelevator frame assembly 64. The upper portion of theuprights 96 are interconnected bycross support 98 having integrally attached thereto a downwardly extendingpin 108. As best seen in F IG. 4, thecross support 98 and thus thecarriage assembly 90, is supported from theelevator frame assembly 64 by the lower hoistblock extension 84, thepin 108 passing through a hole in theextension 84 and being retained in place by acotter pin 110 extending through a transverse hole in thepin 108. This manner of supporting the carriage assembly is advantageous in that the lower hoistblock 84 remains coupled to theelevator frame assembly 64 upon removal of thecarriage assembly 90 therefrom.

A plurality ofrollers 100, 104 and 106 are rotatably mounted from the upright supports 96 so that the carriage platform assembly will be guided in its vertical movement within theladle 22 by theelevator frame assembly 64. The upper set ofrollers 100 ride on the rear surface of theplate 67 of the elevator standard 65 and are journaled inplates 102 extending outward from theuprights 96 on either side of thestandards 65 while thelower rollers 106 are journaled in theuprights 96 to ride along the front surface of theplate 67. The combination of these two sets ofrollers 100, 106 provides the necessary stability to insure that thecarriage assembly 90 remains in position as it is moved up and down thestandards 65. Lateral stability is provided for thecarriage assembly 90 by therollers 104 which pass along the outside edges of theflat plate 67. There are tworollers 104 positioned at the upper portion of theuprights 96 and two positioned at the lower portion.

Aboom mechanism 118 is supported from thecross support 98 for liftingbricks 144 from the pallets of bricks on theplatfonn 92 and placing them on a delivery means orconveyor assembly 146 to be described hereinbelow. Asupport member 120 attached to thecross support member 98 carriespivot pin 126 to which is mounted for pivotal movement in a horizontal plane afirst beam 122. Asecond beam 124 is pivotally connected bypin 128 to thefirst beam 122. A hoistmotor 130 is attached to the distal end of thesecond beam 124 and acable 131 extends downward therefrom to carryice tong grippers 132. The ice tong grippers are comprised of twohollow tubes 134 into which extendbars 136 havinggripping surfaces 138 at the distal ends, thetubes 134 being pivotally connected bypin 140.Screws 137 tightly hold thebars 136 in place within thetubes 134. Thecable 131 is attached to lugs 142 of thetubes 134 such that upon actuation of the air hoist 130 to retract thecable 131, thehollow tubes 134 pivot about pin to grip a series ofbricks 144, the bricks then being lifted from the pallet and placed on theconveyor assembly 146.

As best seen in FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 9, theplatform 92 has been cut away between the horizontal support braces 94 so as to provide achannel opening 112 into which extends theconveyor assembly 146. Upper and lower flange means 114 and 116 provided on the horizontal support braces serve to support theconveyor assembly 146.

Theconveyor assembly 146 is comprised of two spacedframe members 148 and 150, interconnected bycross support 152,end plate 154 and back andfront plates 156 and 158.Support rollers 160 are journaled in the sides of theframe members 148 and and engage the upper and lower flange means 1 14, 116 to support and allow free lateral movement of theconveyor assembly 146 within thechannel opening 112. Theframe member 150 has four rollers journaled therein while theframe member 148 has only two sinceframe member 150 will necessarily have to support a greater weight thanmember 148, as described hereinbelow. Anaxial air motor 162 is attached to the inner surface of theframe member 150 with one end connected to apush plate 164 and the other end connected to theend plate 95 of thecarriage assembly 90. Theair motor 162 serves the purpose of extending theconveyor assembly 146 outward toward the lining of the ladle or retracting it inward into thecarriage assembly 90.

Twochains 166, provided between theframe members 148 and 150, serve as a conveyor to deliver bricks to the front end of theconveyor assembly 146. The

chains 166 are mounted on two sets ofsprockets 168, 174, the rear sprockets 168 being interconnected by acommon shaft 172 journaled insupport 170 on therear plate 156 and thefront sprockets 174 being interconnected bycommon shaft 175 journaled insupport 176 attached to thecross support 152. Thechains 166 are driven, in one direction only, by a conveyor indexing means 178 which is best seen in FIG. 5. The indexing means 178 comprises a one-way frictionclutch sprocket 182 having anouter sprocket 184 with inner cam surfaces 190, aninner cylinder 186 mounted on thecommon shaft 172 of the rear sprockets 168 and a plurality ofballs 188 located therebetween. Aforward indexing sprocket 181 and anaxial air motor 192 withpiston rod 194 are mounted to aforward sprocket mount 180 attached to framemember 148. Thepiston rod 194 has attached thereto achain connector 198 which in turn is connected to the ends of achain 196 passing over theforward indexing sprocket 181 and the one-way frictionclutch sprocket 182. Extension of thepiston rod 194 will effect a clockwise rotation of theouter sprocket 184 which will cause theballs 188 to become tightly engaged between the cam surfaces 190 and theinner cylinder 186 so that theinner cylinder 186, and in turn theshaft 172, will rotate clockwise. This action causes thechains 166 to move bricks forward toward the front of theconveyor assembly 146. Upon retraction of thepiston rod 194, however, theouter sprocket 184 rotates counterclockwise and theballs 188 disengage theinner cylinder 186, thereby imparting no counterclockwise rotation to thecommon shaft 172. Instead, thechains 166 remain stationary.

Located in the forward portion of theconveyor assembly 146 are three devices for placing andproperly positioning the bricks in the wall of the lining 28 as they are delivered along. the chains 166: aconveyor positioning mechanism 200, abrick pusher 236 and abrick gripper 264. Theconveyor positioning mechanism 200, as best shown in FIGS. 4, 10, 11 and 12, serves a dual function of orienting the extension of the conveyor assembly 146 and also the height of the system relative to the lining of the ladle. Awheel holder 202 is attached to theconveyor assembly 146 in a dog leg ,c0nnection by apin 204 so as to allow pivotal movement of thewheel holder 202 thereabout. Asupport arm 210, pin connected to thewheel holder 202 bypivot pin 212, has journaled in its distal end aconveyor extension wheel 208 for riding along the interior surface of thelining 28. Theconveyor extension wheel 208 controls actuation of theconveyor extending motor 162 so as to maintain a constant outward force against the interior of the ladle as bricks are being laid in place. Adjustment of the orientation of theconveyor extension wheel 208 is controlled by apin 215 onsupport arm 210 passing through an adjustingslot 214 in thewheel holder 202 and held in place by a out 216. A supportcam follower wheel 206 is journaled in the front face of thewheel holder 202 for riding along the top row ofbricks 144 in the lining 28 to control adjustment of the height of thecarriage assembly 96. This is accomplished by means of a pressure regulator mounted inhousing 220 onframe member 150. Apusher block 230 having aregulator plunger 232 adapted to enter the regulator is threaded on ascrew 228 attached to therear support plate 218 of thewheel holder 202. As thecam follower wheel 206 rides on thelining 28, the wheel holder will pivot aboutpin 204 to force theplunger 236 into the regulator causing the air hoist 78 to actuate and raise thecarriage assembly 90. Aspring 222 shown in FIG. 4 is attached between astop 226 and thesupport plate 218 to bias the wheel holder outward to force theplunger 236 out of the regulator, thereby causing the air hoist to stop. Generally the spring force is sufficient to allow thecam follower wheel 206 to support about 5 percent of the weight of thecarriage assembly 90. Thus it is apparent that an extra set ofrollers 160 are necessary for supportingframe member 150 in thecarriage assembly 90.

Thebrick pusher 236 as best shown in FIGS. 7 and 10-12 is attached to theother frame member 148 by means of an upright mountingplate 239 which supports arotary air actuator 238 with a substantially vertically extendingshaft 240. Theshaft 240 has attached thereto at its lower end a linkage system comprised of adrive arm 242 having adrive arm extension 244 pinned at its distal end bypin 243. A drivearm wheel holder 246 having adrive wheel 250 pinned thereto bypin 252 is integrally attached at an angle to thedrive arm extension 244 such that thewheel 250 will rotate in a plane parallel to the upper surface of thelining 28. Alinkage arm 248 pinned to theair motor 238 bypivot pin 247 and pinned to thedrive arm extension 244 bypivot pin 249 controls the relative motionof thearm 244. As can be seen in the sequential views of FIGS. 10-12 as theshaft 240 is rotated in a counterclockwise rotation thedrive wheel 250 travels along a fixed path to engage the lastly laid brick and push it into place in thelining 28.

Operation of thebrick pusher 236 is controlled by twolimit switches 257 and 261 positioned on amountingplate 256 and the top surface of theair motor 238 respectively. Ashaft block 254 attached toshaft 240 has adjustably positioned thereon two actuatingmembers 258 and 262. Upon actuation of theair motor 238, theshaft 240 will rotate in a counterclockwise motion, forcing the lastly laidbrick 144 against the next to lastly laidbrick'in thelining 28 untiltheforward limit switch 261 is actuated by theplate 262. A signal will then be sent to reverse the motion of theshaft 240 to return the brick pusher to its retracted position, the op eration of theair motor 238 ceasing when theblock 258 actuates thereturn limit switch 257.

Thebrick gripper 264 for placing abrick 144 in thelining 28 is positioned on twobase pads 270 on the front of thefront plate 158, and comprises anair motor 266 which rotates ashaft 268 extending outward from both sides thereof as best seen in FIGS. 6 and 10-12. Two spacedarms 272 and 282 are attached to the protruding. ends of theshaft 268.Swing arm 272 is attached to theshaft 268 by means of two spacedflanges 274 engaging ablock 276 rigidly fixed to theshaft 268 and apivot pin 278 passing therethrough. The distal end of theswing arm 272 is provided with agripping pivot point 280 for gripping one end of thebrick 144 and allowing the brick to rotate thereabout. Thepositioning arm 282 is rigidly fixed to theshaft 266 so as to only rotate therewith. The distal end of thepositioning arm 282 is provided with arotating gripper 284 and asprocket 288 interconnected by ashaft 286 journaled in thearm 282. A clampingaxial air motor 308 is pin connected to thepositioning arm 282 bypin 312, and has apiston rod 310 connected to theswing arm 272 bypivot pin 314. Retraction and extension of the piston rod withinair motor 308 will cause theswing arm 272 to pivot about thepin 278 to grip or release, respectively, abrick 144 between thegripping point 280 and therotating gripper 284.

As best shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 10, a fixedsprocket 290 is rotatably mounted on ashaft 291 which is adjustably fixed within aslot 293 in a mountingbracket 292 affixed to thefront plate 158 in spaced relation from theair motor 266. The vertical elevation of theshaft 291 is substantially the same as that of theshaft 268 of theair motor 266. Positioned on the rear of the mountingbracket 292 is anaxial air motor 294 with apiston rod 296 extending outward therefrom toward the fixedsprocket 290. Achain 298 is mounted around aroller 302 journaled in the side of thepositioning arm 282, and the twosprockets 288 and 290, one end of the chain being mounted to thepiston rod 296 and the other end being fixed to aspring 300 attached to the side of thepositioning arm 282 bypin 304.

Thebricks 144 are delivered in what is termed an upright position lying on a longitudinal edge to the front of theconveyor assembly 146 where thebrick gripper 264 grasps the bricks and translates them to the wall of theladle 22 to form the lining 28 thereof. The bricks must be reoriented from the upright position to a horizontal position since the bricks of the lining 28 lie on one side wall surface with one of the longitudinal edges abutting thesafety lining 26 and the other longitudinal edge facing inward toward the center of the ladle. As previously noted, the bricks are standard refractory bricks generally described in U. S. Pat. No. 3,140,333 with one of the longitudinal edges being longer than the other. Normally, in a circular ladle, the longer of the two longitudinal edges is placed against thesafety lining 26 so that successive bricks in the lining naturally arc or bend to conform to the circular surface of the ladle. Often, however, the size of the ladles used in steel shops is increased by making the ladles elliptical in fashion with flat spots or regions on the circumference of the ladle. in this situation, it is necessary along the flat region to alternately reverse the orientation of the bricks so that the short longitudinal edge is alternately placed against the ladle safety lining 26 to form a straight region of lining. This is shown atflat region 29 on FIG. 3, the 8" denoting a short longitudinal edge and L denoting a long longitudinal edge. It is this dual reorientation of the bricks with which thechain 298 andsprockets 288, 290 are concerned, the operation of which is best seen in FIG. 8A and 8B.

The center of the fixedsprocket 290 is positioned behind the pivot point of thegripper arm 282 so that rotation of thearm 282 will cause a change in the distance along the path of thechain 298 between the end of thepiston rod 296 and thesprocket 288 on thearm 282. Thespring 300 connected to the end of thechain 298 either extends or compresses to accommodate this change in distance and in turn causes thesprocket 288 to rotate relative to thearm 282. For rotation of thearm 282 from position A to position C in FIG. 8A, the distance becomes less and thespring 300 compresses to pull thechain 298 around thesprocket 288 thereby causing a clockwise rotation of the sprocket and brick relative to thearm 282. For example, in position A, thearm 282 is oriented at an angle of 26-% and. picks up abrick 244 lying on its short longitudinal edge (denoted by S). The initial length ofspring 300 is d," and the center of the fixed sprocket is spaced a distance p" behind the pivot point of thearm 282. When therotary air motor 266 is actuated, thearm 282 rotates counterclockwise 159 through position B to position C where thebricks 144 are released, thearm 282 being 546 below the horizontal, and thebrick 144 having rotated clockwise 63-% so that it is roughly parallel to the top surface of thelining 28. Thespring 300 has compressed to a length (12 The distance ,0 between the center of thesprocket 290 and the pivot axis of thearm 282 depends on the size of thesprockets 288 and 290 and the amount of rotation ofthearm 282 and may be determined empirically in order to effectuate the desired rotation of thebrick 144.

For the situation where thebrick 144 is to be laid in the lining 28 in a reverse orientation, (i.e., the short iongitudinal edge abutting the safety lining 26) thepiston rod 296 of theair cylinder 294 is retracted to rotate thebrick 144 counterclockwise during rotation of thearm 282 by theair motor 266. Using the same exampie as above for FIG. 8A, thebrick 144 is initially grasped when thearm 282 is in position A with thespring 300 having a length d,,"and thepiston rod 296 extended fully. However, as thearm 282 is rotated from position A through 8 to C, thepiston rod 296 is retracted a distance r, causing thebrick 144 to rotate counterclockwise l l6- relative to thearm 282 such that the short longitudinal edge is adjacent thelining 26. In this situation, thespring 300 stretches from d, in position A to 11;, in position C. Again the distances p and r are dependent on the size of thesprockets 288, 290 and the amount of rotation of thearm 282 and may be determined empirically.

Of course it should be understood that there are other ways of combining thespring 300, thechain 298, and the twosprockets 288, 290 to properly reorient thebrick 144 before it is placed in the lining 28 of theladle 22. This may be accomplished simply by wrapping thechain 298 in the opposite direction around thesprocket 288, that is, first passing thechain 298 underneath and then around the top of thesprocket 288 to thespring 300. In this situation thespring 300 would stretch and thesprocket 288 would rotate clockwise during the rotation of thearm 282 for laying both a normal oriented and a reverse orientedbrick 144. Or the size of thesprockets 288, 290 could be varied and the separation between the center of the fixedsprocket 290 and the center of rotation of the arm varied, or even the position of the fixedsprocket 290 could be changed. The only thing necessary in making these changes is to ensure that it is possible to effectuate two different amounts of angular rotation ofbrick 144 as thearm 282 is rotated from position A (picking brick up) to po sition C (releasing brick).

Also provided on thefront plate 158 of the conveyor assembly are several mechanisms for controlling the operation of thebrick laying machine 20. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, anarm stop slide 340 is adjustably positioned along abracket 342 by means of ascrew 344. An upward protrudingmember 341 is provided on thearm stop slide 340 for controlling the height of thegripper arms 272, 282 when picking up abrick 144. Forward motion of thearms 272, 282 is controlled by alimit switch 306 which is in the preferred embodiment in FIG. 6 is shown to be attached to the front of theair motor 266. Upon actuation ofiimit switch 306, thearms 272, 282 stop rotating and thebrick 144 held therebetween is released with the arms then returning to pick up another brick. The advancement of thebricks 144 along thechains 166 is controlled by abrick limit switch 346 attached to abracket 348 adjustably locatable on thefront sprocket support 176 by means of ascrew 350 as shown in FIGS. 7 and 10. Upon actuation of thelimit switch 348, the bricks are stopped and remain stationary until the forwardmost brick is picked up by thegripper 264.

Abrick aligner mechanism 316 for ensuring alignment of thebricks 144 on theconveyor chains 166 comprises anaxial air motor 318 adjustably mounted on abracket 320, positioned on theframe member 150 as shown in FIGS. 6, 7, 9 and 10. Theaxial air motor 318 has apiston rod 322 to the end of which is attached adisc 324. As thebricks 144 are advanced along thechain 166, theair cylinder 318 is periodically actuated to extend thedisc 324 to push the bricks transversely on thechain 166 thereby aligning them for pickup by thegripper mechanism 264.

Also positioned on theconveyor assembly 146 is amortar bucket 326 supported by across support 330 connected to twouprights 328 mounted onframe members 148 and 150 as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 7. Themortar bucket 326 contains a slurry type mortar delivered to the lining 28 by gravity in aflexible hose 334, one end of which is connected to thelower nozzle 332 of themortar bucket 326 and the other end of which is positioned in ahose support 338 extending outward from theair motor 238. A control valve or clamp means 336 having anactuator 337 is provided for controlling the flow of mortar to the lining. It should be noted that the use of mortar is not necessary due to the interlocking action of thebricks 144, but is merely shown for the situation where it is desired to supplement the holding of the bricks in place in the lining.

The operation of the automated bricklaying device is as follows. Theladle 22 is cleaned of excessive slag and dirt accumulation and inspection and repair of the bottom and thesafety lining 26 is undertaken in the conventional manner. The bottom brick lining and well block are laid up as in the skew brick ring which is comprised of one tapered starter set 27 and several spiraling courses of semi-universalrefractory brick 144, also in the conventional manner. The tapered starter set is necessary to provide that the workinglining 28 is built up by spiraling courses.

Theautomated bricklaying device 20 is then lowered into the ladle, either as a whole unit or in components as previously noted and leveled byscrew jacks 40 onturntable 30 to rest on the bottom brick lining. The bricklaying machine may then be connected to a power source and operated in a manner to be described hereinbelow. I

As previously noted, thebricklaying device 20 in the preferred embodiment is a totally air operated device as opposed to, for example, an electrically operated device. This is merely a matter of preference, depending on the type of shop in which the bricklaying machine will be used and the capabilities thereof, and it makes no major difference what type of power source is employed. It is conventional in most steel shops to use air as a source of power to operate various devices for operation therein and, as such, air was initially chosen to supply the power for operation.

The particular control diagram 400 for thepreferred embodiment is depicted diagrammatically in FIG. 14A and 148. As a key to aid in understanding the diagrammatic representation, the following should be noted. Thenumbers 412 and 414 on FIG. 14A represent typical main air supply lines for operating the various air motors and air cylinders of thebricklaying machine 20; the numbers 428 and 442 on FIG. 14A represent typical pilot lines for switching control valves from one position to another; thenumber 476 on FIG. 14A represents a typical check valve which permits air to flow in theline 478 in one direction (to the right) and prohibits air flow in the other direction (to the left); thenumber 594 of 143 represents a typical adjustable flow control valve to control the flow of air therethrough; thenumber 474 on FIG. 14A represents a typical pressure regulator which controls the amount of air pressure delivered to the left-hand portion of theline 414; thenumber 424 on FIG. 14A represents a typical mechanically actuated control valve with a spring return which will return to its normal position upon release of the operator; thenumber 518 on FIG. 14B represents a typical air actuated control valve whose position is changed by providing air to one of the chambers A or B," the valve remaining in that position until air is provided to the other of the chambers; and thenumbers 408 on FIG. 14A and 538 on FIG.14B represents typical manually actuated control valves whose position is changed manually and maintained thereat by detents.

With the above brief description of the diagrammatic representation in FIGS. 14A and 143, the operation of thebricklaying machine 20 is as follows. The main supply of air to the machine is provided from a compressor (not shown) by thesupply line 402, a filter 404 andlubricator 406 being provided in theline 402 so that the air to the system is clean and lubricated. Air is supplied bybranch line 416 to thecontrol valve 418 to operate the air hoist 130 of theboom mechanism 118 independent of the rest of the system. Thecontrol valve 418 is a three-position valve for controlling theair motor 130 to raise, to lower, or to stop thecable 131. Actuator 419U shifts thevalve 418 to supply air fromline 416 toline 420 to raise thecable 131, with air indown line 422 exhausting throughvent line 421 while theactuator 419D shifts thevalve 418 to the other side so that air is delivered to the down side of the air motor 130 l to lower thecable 131.

The remainder of the operation of the bricklaying machine is controlled by the three-position manuallyactuated valve 408 which, in FIG. 14A, is shown in a neutral position sending no air to the system. Initially thevalve 408 is placed in the manually" position so that air will be provided from thebranch line 410 to the mainmanual control line 412, and the air in theautomatic line 414 will exhaust to the atmosphere throughvent line 413. The main hoistvalve 434, as with thevalve 408, is a three-position valve to which air is delivered vialines 412, 415, 430 and 436 to control the air hoist 78 for raising and lowering the carriage platform assembly on theelevator frame assembly 64. The control system is also provided with a conventional springbiased brake 450 and a slackcable limit switch 426 for restricting operation of theair hoise 78. Thebrake 450 automatically locks the air hoist 78 in place if no air is sent to it alongpilot line 452 and the slack cable limit switch releases the air inline 429, 452 if thecable 81 of the hoist 78 is slack, the slack position being shown in FIG. 14A. If thecable 81 is not slack, thevalve 426 is depressed so that no air will be released from line 429 as described hereinafter. Pilot air is delivered for manual operation bypilot lines 442 and 446 joined to the air hoist up and downlines 438 and 440 respectively. Checkvalves 444 and 448 are positioned inpilot lines 442, 446 to prevent a reverse flow from one pilot line to the other, which would prevent release of thebrake 450.

Lowering of thecable 86 of the hoist 78 and thus thecarriage assembly 90, is accomplished by placingvalve 434 in the down position so that air will be provided fromline 436 throughline 440 to both thebrake 450 and the down side of the air hoist 78. Air is released from the up side of themotor 78 through theup line 438 to ventline 439. Thecarriage assembly 90 is lowered until it is at the approximate height necessary to start laying bricks in the lining, in which case thevalve 434 is placed back in its neutral position (see FIG. 4). Next, theconveyor assembly 146 is extended from beneath thecarriage assembly 90 so that the conveyor extension wheel 208'rides against the inner surface of the lastly laid bricks in thelining 28. Theconveyor extension valve 464 is placed in the out position and air is delivered to theextension air motor 162 bylines 412, 415, 458 and 466. Apressure regulator 460 in theline 458 controls the amount of air pressure inline 458 to the right of theregulator 460 and as such the amount of pressure delivered to theextension motor 162. Normally theregulator 460 is set so as to provide a sufficient force on theconveyor extension wheel 208 to properly set thebricks 144 in the lining 28 against thesafety lining 26 this occurring as theconveyor assembly 90 revolves around the circumference of the ladle, notwithstanding the fact that the turntable assembly is not positioned in the center of the ladle and notwithstanding the fact that the ladle may be elliptical. As air is delivered to theextension motor 162 byline 466, air in the in" line 468 is controllably released to the atmosphere through thevent line 470 and flowcontrol valve 472 situated therein.

After theconveyor assembly 146 has been properly positioned against the lining 28, the carriage assembly is again lowered until thecam follower wheel 206 rests on the top surface of thelining 28. Amanual override valve 424 has been provided where it is desired to release thebrake 450 when thecable 86 on the air hoist 78 is slack, such as might occur if the hoist 78 were lowered too far when thecam follower wheel 206 rested on thelining 28. When thevalve 424 is actuated, air passes frombranch line 423 to pilot line 428 to actuate the slackcable limit switch 426 so that air in line 429 is not released to the atmosphere throughvent line 427, but instead passes to release thebrake 450. Although thevalve 426 is positioned to pass air from line 429 throughline 484 toline 480, no such passage occurs due to the check valve .482 being situated inline 480. Normally themanual override valve 424 is positioned so that any air in pilot line 428 is released to the atmosphere throughvent line 425.

After thecarriage assembly 90 is properly positioned within the ladle themain control valve 408 is shifted to provide air to theautomatic line 414 and drain air in themanual line 412 throughvent line 413. The air pressure in theautomaticline 414 is controlled by thepressure regulator 474, abypass line 478 withcheck valve 476 being provided in parallel to allow drainage of theautomatic line 414 when thevalve 408 is in a manual position. For automatic operation, the main hoistvalve 434 is placed in an up position and apilot line 484 fromline 480 provides air to release thebrake 450 if thecable 86 is not slack. Apressure regulator 488 inline 480, controlled by theconveyor positioning mechanism 200 as described hereinabove, serves to provide air to the hoist 78. If the plunger 232 (see FIG. 4) is not depressed into the regulator due to the force exerted byspring 222 being greater than that exerted on thecam follower wheel 206, then no air is allowed to pass through the regulator to line 436 to actuate the hoist 78 to raise thecarriage assembly 90. Instead, since thebrake 450 is released, thecarriage assembly 90, and thus theconveyor assembly 146, will start to move downward along theelevator frame assembly 64. As the force on thecam follower wheel 206 forces the plunger into theregulator 488, air fromline 480 is allowed to pass through the regulator to the main hoistvalve 434 to actuate the hoistmechanism 78. As the hoist mechanism is actuated, theconveyor assembly 146 is raised, relieving the weight which thecam wheel 206 supports until thespring 222 forces theregulator plunger 232 out of theregulator 488 to stop the flow of air therethrough. Theconveyor assembly 146 continues to oscillate, falling downward since thebrake 450 is released and rising since theplunger 232 is inserted, until a balance of forces is maintained in which the conveyor assembly rests at the proper height. The air hoist 78 is periodically actuated as thecam wheel 206 rides on the spiraling courses of bricks built up in thelining 28 and thus this type of mechanism provides a self-regulating control of the height of the carriage assembly in theladle 22. Alternatively, a limit switch could be used in place of thepressure regulator 488 if precise modulating control of the height of the platform is not required.

Air from theautomatic line 414 is provided to theextension motor 162 bybranch line 492 which connects to theline 458, the operation of theextension motor 162 being as previously described for manual operation with thevalve 464 in an out position. Checkvalves 490, 432, 494 and 456 are provided inbranch lines 480, 430, 492 and 415 respectively so that the air in these lines will not be released to the atmosphere during either automatic operation or manual operation. These check valves are necessary since both the automatic and manual lines are commonly connected to thebranch lines 436 of the main hoistvalve 434 and 458 of the mainconveyor extension valve 464.

With theconveyor assembly 146 properly positioned relative to the circumference of theladle 22 and ready for operation to lay bricks, theboom mechanism 118 is operated to placebricks 144 on theconveyor chains 166. The stop-start switch 538 is then placed in a start position (as shown in FIG. 14B allowing air to pass between pilot lines 532 and 540) and themanual operator 500 on thefront index switch 498 is actuated. Air passes fromline 508 through thevalve 498 to thepilot line 510 into chamber B ofconveyor indexing valve 518 to switchvalve 518 so that air passes frombranch line 520 to return line 524 to retract thepiston rod 194 of theindexing motor 192, air from the other side of themotor 192 being exhausted through extension line 522 and ventline 519. Pilot air fromline 510 is also provided to chamber A" of thebrick aligner valve 544 byline 516 so that air fromline 548 passes throughvalve 544 to line 550 to extend thepiston rod 322 of thebrick aligner motor 318 to align thebricks 144 on thechains 166. Thepiston rod 194 of theconveyor indexing motor 192 is retracted until therod actuator 504 engages the operator of therear indexing switch 530 to allow pilot air in line 528 to pass throughvalve 530 into pilot line 532. Pilot air is initially delivered to pilot line 528 frompilot line 508 vialine 526 which passes through thebrick limit switch 346 as long as abrick 144 does not engage the operator of thevalve 346. The air in line 532 passes through the stop-start switch 538 into chamber A" to switchvalve 518 to extend thepiston rod 194 of theconveyor indexing motor 192. At the same time, pilot air in line 532 is delivered byline 536 to chamber B" of thebrick aligner valve 544 causing the valve to change positions to retract thepiston rod 322 of thebrick aligner cylinder 318. Thepiston rod 194 is extended until therod actuator 504 engages theoperator 502 of thevalve 498 to return the rod as previously described by manual actuation ofoperator 500.

This sequence of operation of advancingbricks 144 along the length of theconveyor assembly 146 continues until abrick 144 actuates the operator of thebrick limit switch 346 to switch thevalve 346 to pass air therethrough fromline 526 toline 556. Pilot air is then delivered byline 558 into a chamber invalve 498 to actuate thevalve 498 for returning the piston rod194 in theindexing cylinder 192. However, when therod actuator 504 engages the operator ofvalve 530, thevalve 518 will not switch to extend therod 194 until thebrick 144 is removed to release thebrick limit switch 346 since air is not then being delivered to line 528. As thus far described, each of the valves andlimit switches 498, 530 and 346 are provided with vent lines 512, 531 and 554 respectively so'that any air in the connecting lines is released to the atmosphere. This is necessary since the air in either chamber A" or B" ofvalves 518 and 544, if not released, would oppose the air sent to the other of the chambers and would thus prevent switching of thevalves 518 and 544.

After abrick 144 has actuated thevalve 346, the air inline 556 passes tovalve 261 of thebrick pusher mechanism 236 which is actuated to allow air intoline 564 only when the brick pusher mechanism isin a return position. The air inline 564 then passes tochamber 8" of thegripper control valve 568 to switch the valve to allow air to pass therethrough fromline 506 toline 570. The air in chamber A" ofvalve 568 is exhausted throughvent line 601 vialines 612, 602. Fromline 570, the air is delivered to theclamp cylinder 308 by line 580 which has apressure regulator 586 positioned therein for controlling the clamping force applied by themotor 308 in order not to crush or crack the bricks grasped by thearms 272, 282. Abypass line 582 withcheck valve 584 is connected in parallel across thepressure regulator 586 to provide a quick exhaust of air from theclamp motor 308 when the signal is given to release the brick.Line 570 also delivers air to therotary air motor 266 by line 572 to take thebrick 144 from thechains 166 and place it in the wall of theladle 22, the motion being clockwise as shown in FIG. 14B.Acheck valve 576 inbypass line 574 is connected in parallel across aflow control valve 578 in line 572, thecheck valve 576 passing air quickly to theair motor 266 while preventing back flow therefrom and theflow control valve 578 controlling the air released from theair motor 266 during the return thereof to pick up another brick.

The air inline 570 also passes through thevalve 354 located on the base of the connectingcouple 68 of theelevator frame assembly 64 to control the operation of 14 thesprockets 288, 290 andchain 298 on thegripper arm 282. If the operator on thevalve 354 has not been actuated, then air is delivered toline 588 to keep the piston rod extended in theair motor 294. Actuation of the operator on thevalve 354 can best be seen in FIG. 13 wherein theupper platen 34 has rotated relative to thelower platen 32 such that thelimit switch 354 is located adjacent to thecam trippers 356 supported bysupports 358 from thebottom platen 32. As theupper platen 34 continues to rotate relative to thelower platen 32, the operator of thelimit switch 354 will be depressed by thecam tripper 356 thus causing the valve 354 (see FIG. 14B) to shift positions so that air inline 570 is delivered toline 590. The air inline 590 passes through aflow control valve 594 to theair cylinder 294 to controllably retract thepiston rod 296 as thegripper arms 272, 282 rotate to lay a brick in thelining 28. Abypass line 596 withcheck valve 598 is provided in parallel to controlvalve 594 so that air will be exhausted quickly throughline 590 to vent line 592 when thevalve 354 is not actuated by thecam tripper 356.

As thegripper arms 272, 282 rotate to deliver thebrick 144 to the circumference of theladle 22, thearm 282 engages and actuates alimit switch 306 as best seen in FIG. 6. Referring again to FIG. 148, when thelimit switch 306 is actuated, air is provided frompilot line 600 toline 602 and, in turn, tolines 612 and 604. Pilot air inline 604 enters chamber A ofvalve 566 to shift the valve to release the air inchamber 8" ofvalve 568 throughvent line 567, and pilot air inline 612 enters chamber A ofvalve 568 to shift thevalve 568 so air is supplied fromline 506 toline 614.Flow control valve 606 positioned inline 604 restricts the release of air from chamber A" ofvalve 566 in order to provide a time delay before air' may again be delivered to chamber B ofvalve 568 to cause actuation of themotor 266 to lay a brick. Bypass line 608 with check valve 610 is provided in parallel to theflow control valve 606 in order to effect a quick shifting ofvalve 566. The air inline 614 is passed to extend the piston rod of theclamp motor 308 to release the brick held thereby and is, also sent, viabranch line 620, to return thebrick gripper arms 272, 282 to pick up anotherbrick 144. Abypass line 624 withcheck valve 626 is connected in parallel fashion across theflow control valve 622 inline 620 so that airwill be quickly sent to theair motor 266 to return thearms 272, 282, and will be released through theflow control valve 622 upon actuation of theair motor 266 to lay a brick. The pressureregulator 6l8in line 614 is set so that only a small amount of air, which is all that is needed to effect the return of the brick gripper and release of the brick, is delivered to theair motor 266 and theclamp motor 308. Acheck valve 616 is placed inline 614 so as to allow a build-up of air on the return side of themotor 266 when laying a brick in order that the brick is not slammed into the lining. When thevalve 568 is in the position shown in FIG. 14B, air inline 570 is released to the atmosphere byvent line 569.

Pilot line 602 also delivers air to chamber A of thebrick pusher valve 628 to switch the valve to allow air to pass fromline 630 into line 634 to the push side of theair motor 238, thus actuating thebrick pusher mechanism 236 to push thebrick 144 into place against the lastly laid brick in thelining 28. Apressure regulator 636 is provided in line 634 in order that the force of thebrick pusher 236 does not become too great so as to crush bricks. Air in the return side of themotor 238 is quickly exhausted throughvent line 629. As thebrick pusher 236 is actuated, air is also sent to actuate theturntable air motor 60. Pilot line 644 continuously delivers air through the normallyunactuated control valve 648 toline 652 into chamber A ofturntable control valve 654 to force the valve into position to allow air to pass from line 662 into line 664, thereby actuatingair motor 60 to turn theturntable 30 clockwise. Thevalve 654 is a three-position air actuated, spring biased valve such that when air is not being continuously provided to chamber A" or B, then the spring bias will force thevalve 654 into a neutral position as shown in FIG. 14B. Thebrick pusher mechanism 236 is more quickly actuated than theturntable air motor 60 since aflow control valve 670 is positioned inline 666 to controllably exhaust the air in the other side of theair motor 60 through thevent line 668. Abypass line 672 withcheck valve 674 is connected in parallel across theflow control valve 670 to allow air to pass quickly inline 666 to the counterclockwise rotation side of theair motor 60 if thevalve 668 were in position to deliver air from line 662 toline 666.

Thebrick pusher 236 continues to rotate, due to actuation of both theair motors 238 and 60, until thelimit switch 257 is actuated, thus indicating occurrence of a predetermined amount of rotation which is sufficient to allow placement of the next brick in thelining 28. When this occurs,valve 257 shifts to allow air inline 638 to pass to line 642 intochamber 8" ofvalve 628 to switch the valve to return thebrick pusher 236 to its return position. The air in chamber A is exhausted throughvent line 601 ofvalve 306, thevalve 306 being in its unactuated state since the gripper arms on thebrick gripper 264 have returned to their return position. When thebrick pusher valve 628 changes positions upon air entering chamber B, the air in line 634, and thus B,line 644, is released to the atmosphere to thevent line 629. Thevalve 654 then returns to its neutral position due to the spring bias and also due to momentarily air being sent to chamber B bypilot line 646.

During operation of thebrick gripper 264 and the operation of thebrick pusher 236, theconveyor indexing mechanism 192 has been actuated (due to release ofvalve 346 when thebrick gripper 264 picked up the brick 144) to deliver the next to be laid brick along theconveyor chains 166, thus actuating thevalve 346 and sending air fromline 526 toline 556. When thebrick pusher 236 returns,valve 261 will be actuated and air will be delivered fromline 556 toline 564 and another brick will be laid in place in the manner described above.

When initially orienting theconveyor assembly 146 relative to the circumference of theladle 22, it may be necessary to actuateair motor 60 in order to turn the conveyor assembly. This is accomplished by placing themain control valve 408 in the manual position and usingpush button valves 648 and 656. if theair motor 60 is to be operated to turn theturntable 30 clockwise,valve 648 is continually depressed to deliver air fromlines 680, 676 to chamber A ofvalve 654. The operation for counter-clockwise rotation of theturntable 34 is accomplished by actuation ofvalve 656 in a similar manner to that done for clockwise rotation. Checkvalves 682 and 684 are provided inlines 546 and 415 respectively so that air will not be fed into the manual line during automatic operation or fed into the automatic line during manual operation.

From the foregoing it is apparent that there is herein provided anautomated bricklaying device 20 which permits the rapid buildup of the spiraling courses ofrefractory brick 144 necessary to form the workinglining 28 of ametal pouring ladle 22. The shell of theladle 22 provides a circumferential guidance while the spiraling brick courses themselves provide the necessary height guidance so that the bricks are properly placed to form the workinglining 28. Aconveyor indexing mechanism 178 operates to deliver a series ofrefractory bricks 144 to the front ofaconveyor assembly 146 wherein abrick gripper mechanism 264 grasps the bricks one at a time and lays them in the lining 28 of theladle 22. Abrick pusher mechanism 236 and aconveyor extension wheel 208 attached to the front of theconveyor assembly 146 serves to firmly secure and set each brick against the previously laid brick and causes actuation of a turntable motor to index thedevice 20 to the proper position for laying the next brick in the lining. During operation of the pushing cycle and indexing cycle, if it is desirous mortar may be provided to be placed in the working lining so as to ensure a proper seating and holding of the bricks within the ladle.

It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials and arrangements of parts which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the matter of the invention may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An automated bricklaying device for laying out the brick lining of a vessel, the device comprising:

a delivery means for delivering a series of bricks in turn to the circumference of the vessel to be set as the lining thereof;

a brick positioning means associated with said delivery means for positioning and firmly setting each brick in turn in the lining as it is delivered to the circumference of the vessel;

a supporting means for supporting said delivery means and said brick positioning means inside the vessel and for permitting, of said delivery means and said brick positioning means, longitudinal movement along, reciprocal lateral movement relative to and revolutional movement about an axis thereof positioned within and substantially parallel to the axis of the vessei to be lined;

an operating means for moving said delivery means and said brick positioning means longitudinally along, laterally relative to and revolutionally about said axis of said support means so as to position said delivery means and said brick positioning means relative to the circumference of the vessel; and

a control means for controllably operating said operating means after a brick has been positioned in place in the lining for properly positioning said delivery means and said brick positioning means for the placement of the next succeeding brick in the lining.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said support means includes an upright frame assembly mounted within the ladle, and a platform assembly carried by said upright frame assembly for longitudinal movement therealong, said delivery means being mounted to said

Claims (34)

1. An automated bricklaying device for laying out the brick lining of a vessel, the device comprising: a delivery means for delivering a series of bricks in turn to the circumference of the vessel to be set as the lining thereof; a brick positioning means associated with said delivery means for positioning and firmly setting each brick in turn in the lining as it is delivered to the circumference of the vessel; a supporting means for supporting said delivery means and said brick positioning means inside the vessel and for permitting, of said delivery means and said brick positioning means, longitudinal movement along, reciprocal lateral movement relative to and revolutional movement about an axis thereof positioned within and substantially parallel to the axis of the vessel to be lined; an operating means for moving said delivery means and said brick positioning means longitudinally along, laterally relative to and revolutionally about said axis of said support means so as to position said delivery means and said brick positioning means relative to the circumference of the vessel; and a control means for controllably operating said operating means after a brick has been positioned in place in the lining for properly positioning said delivery means and said brick positioning means for the placement of the next succeeding brick in the lining.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said support means includes an upright frame assembly mounted within the ladle, and a platform assembly carried by said upright frame assembly for longitudinal movement therealong, said delivery means being mounted to said platform assembly for reciprocal lateral movement relative thereto.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said support means further includes a turntable placed in the bottom of the vessel, said turntable comprising a lower platen and an upper platen supported by said lower platen for rotational movement relative thereto, the axis of rotation being said axis of said support means, and wherein said upright frame assembly is mounted to said upper platen whereby, when said upper platen rotates relative to said lower platen, said delivery means revolves about said axis of rotation.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said operating means includes a hoist means for selectively raising and lowering said platform assembly along said upright frame assembly and a reciprocating drive means for selectively extending and retracting said delivery means relative to said platform assembly.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said operating means further includes a rotary actuating means for imparting rotary movement to said upper platen of said turntable relative to said lower platen.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said control means includes a first limit switch means for causing operation of said rotary actuating means and a second limit switch means for stopping operation of said rotary actuating means, said second switch means being actuated to stop said rotary actuating means after said brick positioning means has moved a predetermined distance relative to the circumferencE of the vessel.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said first limit switch means is actuated to cause operation of said rotary actuating means after said placement means has placed a brick in the lining.

8. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said control means includes a vertical guidance means on said platform assembly, said vertical guidance means causing actuation of said hoist means so as to maintain a fixed vertical relation between said platform assembly and the built up lining.

9. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said control means includes an extension guidance means on said delivery means, said extension guidance means actuating said reciprocating drive means so as to maintain a fixed relation between said delivery means and the built up lining.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said delivery means is a conveyor means having a conveyor indexing means for selectively advancing the bricks on said conveyor means to the circumference of the vessel.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said delivery means includes a placement means for taking a brick from said conveyor means and placing it in the circumference of the vessel.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said brick positioning means comprises a first means for pushing a brick delivered to the circumference of the vessel into engagement with the previously laid brick and a second means for pushing a brick delivered to the circumference of the vessel into engagement with the interior wall of the vessel.

13. An automated bricklaying machine for laying out the refractory brick lining of a metal pouring ladle, the machine comprising: an upright means extending into the ladle; a mounting means for supporting said upright means for traversing about the circumference of the ladle; a platform means carried by said upright means for vertical movement therealong; means for selectively raising and lowering said platform means relative to said upright means; a delivery means on said platform means reciprocally laterally movable relative thereto for delivering a series of refractory bricks in turn to the circumference of the ladle to be set as the lining thereof; a positioning and indexing means on said delivery means for properly positioning each brick in turn in the lining while indexing said platform means to a proper position for placement of the next succeeding brick in the lining; and vertical guidance means on said conveyor means for providing vertical elevational control of said platform means relative to the built up lining.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said mounting means is a turntable placed on the bottom of the ladle, said turntable comprising a lower platen and an upper platen supported by said, lower platen for rotational movement relative thereto.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said upper platen is supported by means of a plurality of rollers journaled on the side of said lower platen and wherein said lower platen has a plurality of leveling screws for leveling said lower platen.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said turntable includes a gear ring mounted to said lower platen; a pinion gear having a shaft journaled in said upper platen and having teeth engaging teeth of said gear ring; a sprocket means fixed to said shaft of said pinion gear; a rotary actuating motor mounted to said upper platen; and a chain means for said sprocket means and said rotary actuating motor whereby, when said rotary actuating motor is actuated, said upper platen is rotated relative to said lower platen.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said positioning and indexing means includes a second means for pushing a brick in the lining into engagement with the previously laid brick in the built up lining.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said second means is a brick pusher having a rotary actuating means; a wheel means; a linkage means connected at one end to said rotary actuating means and connected at the other end to said wheel means such thAt upon actuation of said rotary actuating means said wheel means follows a fixed path to push brick in the lining into engagement with the previously laid brick.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein there is a control system associated with said brick pusher and said rotary actuating motor on said turntable for actuating said rotary actuating motor on said turntable when said rotary actuator of said brick pusher is actuated.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said brick pusher includes a limit switch means which, when actuated, stops said brick pusher from pushing and indicates that said platform means is in a proper position for placement of the next succeeding brick in the lining.

21. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said delivery means includes a conveyor means for advancing bricks thereon toward the circumference of the ladle and a placement means for taking bricks in said conveyor means one at a time and placing them in turn in the lining.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said delivery means further includes a conveyor indexing means having a one-way friction clutch and a reciprocating drive means whereby said conveyor means is advanced when said one-way friction clutch is driven in a first direction by said reciprocating drive means and said conveyor means remains stationary when said one-way friction clutch is driven in a second direction by said reciprocating drive means.

23. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said placement means is a brick gripper for transferring a brick in a first position on said conveyor means to a second position in the lining.

24. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said positioning and indexing means includes a first brick pushing means for laterally pushing a brick in the lining into engagement with the interior wall of the ladle.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said lateral brick pushing means is an exterior wheel positioned on said delivery means.

26. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said means for selectively raising and lowering said platform means is a hoist motor positioned on said upright means.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said vertical guidance means is a wheel means carried by said delivery means which rides on the top of the built up lining, said wheel means actuating said hoist means on said upright means for maintaining a fixed vertical relation between said platform means and the built up lining.

28. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said platform means includes a means for picking up bricks resting on said platform means and placing them on said delivery means.

29. In a bricklaying machine for lining a ladle with bricks having a conveyor means, a placement means having a pickup position and a placement position, a brick positioning means having a return position and a pushing position, and an apparatus positioning means, a control system for controllably operating the machine to perform a series of sequential operations comprising, in combination: a first means for operating the conveyor means to deliver the bricks to the placement means; a second means for operating the placement means to place the bricks in the lining of the ladle; a third means for operating the brick positioning means to properly position the bricks in the lining; a fourth means for operating the apparatus positioning means to index the conveyor means, the placement means and the brick positioning means relative to the circumference of the ladle; a first switch means for controlling said first means such that when said first switch means is actuated, said first means is operable to cause said conveyor means to stop, said first switch means being actuable whenever a brick on said conveyor means is in position for removal therefrom by said placement means; a second switch means for controlling said second means such that when said second switch means is actuated, said second means is operable to cause said placement means to pick up a brick from said conveyor means and moVe said brick toward said ladle lining, said second switch means being actuable whenever said first switch means is actuated and said brick positioning means is in a return position; a third switch means for controlling said second means, said third means and said fourth means such that when said third switch means is actuated, the following operations take place: a. said second means is operable to cause said placement means to stop, to release the brick held thereby, and to return to its pickup position, b. said third means is operable to cause said brick positioning means to move towards said pushing position to properly position said brick released by said placement means in said ladle lining, and c. said fourth means is operable to cause said apparatus positioning means to move said conveyor means, said placement means and said brick positioning means relative to said circumference of said ladle, said third switch means actuable when said placement means is in the placement position to place said brick in said lining; and a fourth switch means for controlling said third means and said fourth means such that when said fourth switch means is actuated the following operations take place: a. said third means is operable to return said brick positioning means to its return position, and b. said fourth means is operable to cause said apparatus positioning means to stop, said fourth switch means being actuable when said apparatus positioning means has indexed said conveyor means, said placement means and said brick positioning means to a proper position for placement of the next succeeding brick in the lining.

30. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein said first means is a conveyor indexing means including a one-way friction clutch for driving said conveyor means in one direction only.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein said conveyor indexing means includes a reciprocal drive motor having an advancing motion and a retraction motion, said reciprocal drive motor being controlled by two limit switch means for causing advancing motion and for causing retraction motion.

32. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein there is a fifth means for operating said placement means to place bricks in the lining in one of two different orientations and wherein there is a fifth limit switch means for controlling said fifth means.

33. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein said fourth means includes a vertical drive means, a lateral drive means and a rotational drive means whereby said third and fourth limit switch means controlling operation of said rotational drive means, said vertical drive means and said lateral drive means being controlled so as to maintain a fixed vertical and lateral relation between said conveyor means as said rotational drive means rotates the conveyor means, the placement means and the brick positioning means.

34. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein said control system is a pneumatic control system and wherein said first, second, third and fourth means are pneumatic operating means and said first, second, third and fourth limit switch means are pneumatic limit switches.

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