US2713481A - Cupola linings, including railroad rails - Google Patents

Description

United States Patent O curorA LrNINGs, INCLUDING RAILROAD RAILS Leo A. Gionet, Port Washington, Wis., assignor to Modern Equipment Company, Port Washington, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application ctober 17, 1952, Serial No. 315,367

6 Claims. (Cl. 2661-43) This invention relates to improvements in cupola linings.

Cupolas are customarily lined with rebrick which deteriorates during use and requires periodic replacement. This is an expensive operation requiring shutting down orn the cupola and the employment of skilled bricklayers. Deterioration of the cupola lining results from the gouging effect of impingement thereon of sharp edged pieces of scrap metal or other portions of a charge dropped into the cupola from a charging bucket.

it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved cupola lining which is used in conjunction with a rebrick lining to protect and preserve the latter and thereby substantially reduce maintenance costs.

A further object of the invention is to provide an irnproved cupola lining, the maintenance of which can be readily carried out by relatively unskilled workmen.

A specific object of the invention is to provide an improved cupola lining including a plurality of spaced metal wear members having surfaces ush with the inner surface of said lining, the spaces between said wear members being filled with a castable refractory material which can be readily patched when necessary.

A further specific object of the invention is to provide an improved cupola lining of the class described wherein the wearing members may take the form of railroad rails which are positioned suiiiciently far apart to allow enough refractory material between the rails to protect the latter from the cupola heat, and are positioned sufficiently close together to prevent any deep gouging out of the refractory material therebetween.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide an improved cupola lining of the class described wherein the wear members are formed into a unitary cylindrical basket having a funnel-shaped lower end, said basket being built into the upper end of a cupola in a position to receive the impact of a charge dropped into the cupola from a charging bucket.

A further specific object of the invention is to provide an improved cupola lining of the class described wherein the metal basket is not directly connected to the outer shell of the cupola which eliminates any warpage or hot spot problem in connection therewith.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide an improved cupola lining of the class described wherein the unitary nature of the metal basket prevents deformation' of said basket and distributes the shock from the impact of the falling charge to all of the rails of the basket thereby preventing any local concentrations of shock and deformation or displacement of the rails which might injure the rebrick.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of the improved cupola lining and all of its parts and combinations, as set forth in the claims, and all equivalents thereof.

ln the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this specification, wherein one complete embodiment of the preferred form of the invention is shown, and wherein like naar Patented `ivrly 19, 1955 ICC characters of reference indicate the same parts in all of the views:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the upper portion of a cupola constructed in accordance with the invention, parts being broken away and shown in section; and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional plan view taken approximately along the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 5 indicates a cupola having an enlarged upper end 14 connected to the main portion 15 of the cupola 5 by a funnelshaped portion 16. The cupola 5 has a metal outer shell 6, a layer of insulation brick 7, and a layer of irebrick 8. Within the enlarged portion 14 of cupola 5 are a plurality of spaced vertical rails 9 positioned with their base plates against the inner surface of the iirebrick layer. The rails 9 are formed into a unitary cylindrical basket by circumferentially extending tie rods 1t) which are welded to and extend between adjacent rails 9 to rigidly connect them together.

A plurality of inclined, radially disposed rails 11 overlie the surface of the firebrick lining the funnelshaped portion 16 of the cupola. The rails 11 are rigidly connected to each other and to the rails 9 by the lowermost tie rods 10 which are welded to the webs of rails 9 at the lower ends thereof and are also welded to the webs of rails 11 at the upper ends of said rails. The lower ends of rails 11 are rigidly connected together by tie rods 12 which are welded to the webs thereof. The rails 9 and 11, and tie rods l() and l2 thus form a unitary cylindrical basket having a funnel-shaped lower end conforming to the shape of the lirebrick lining 8.

Overlying the layer of rebrick 8 between the rails 9 and 11 is a layer 13 of refractory material of a type which, during the application thereof, is in a plastic or castable state. The surface of the layer 13 is preferably tiush with the inner surface of the rails 9 and 11. The rails 9 and 11 are spaced apart sufficiently so that the layer 13 protects them from the heat, and are sufficiently close together to prevent any deep gouging of said layer by portions of a charge. In practice, spacing the rails 9 and 11 on approximately eight inch centers has worked out satisfactorily.

The improved cupola lining protects the firebrick layer rom damage, not only by preventing any direct contact of the charge with the firebrick under rails 9 and 11, but also by preventing any local concentrations of shock on said iirebrick through said rails. The latter protection is afforded by the unitary construction of the rail basket. The tie rods 10 and 12 distribute the shock from the impact of the falling charge to all of the rails, and also prevent deformation of the basket. When the layer 13 has become eroded from use, it can readily be plastered up with additional refractory material by ordinary mill labor to again bring the surface of said layer flush with rails.

Various changes and modications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and all of such changes are contemplated, as may come within the scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

1. 1n a cupola: a layer of firebrick; a plurality of spaced metal wear members of predetermined depth, normal to the firebrick, having fiat surface portions facing the outer side of the cupola and positioned against the inner side of said rebrick layer and also having outer wearing surfaces facing the interior of the cupola; and a layer of castable refractory material overlying said iirebrick on the inside of the cupola and filling the spaces between said wear members, the surface of said o layer being ush with the wearing surfaces of said members.

1n a cupola: a layer of rebrick; a plurality of spaced vertically extending narrow elongated metal wear members of predetermined depth, normal to the iirebrick having flat surface portions facing the outer side of the cupola and positioned against said irebrick layer and also having wearing surfaces facing the interior of the cupola; and a layer of castable refractory material overlying said firebrick on the inside of the cupola and filling the spaces between said wear members, the surface of said layer being flush with the wearing surfaces of said members.

3. ln a cupola: a layer of iirebrick; a plurality of spaced parallel vertical extents of railroad rail having at base plates positioned against the inner side of said firebrick layer, said rails also having head wearing surfaces; and a layer of refractory material overlying said tirebrick on the inside of the cupola and filling the spaces between said rails, the surface of said layer being iiush with the head wearing surfaces of said rails.

4. in a cupola: a cylindrical tubular layer of firebrick', a plurality of spaced vertically extending narrow elongated metal wear members of predetermined depth normal to the firebriclt disposed against the inner surface of said layer, said wear members having vertical wearing surfaces spaced from and parallel with said layer; tie rods extending between and rigidly connecting said wear members together to form a unitary tubular basket; and a layer of castable refractory material overlying the inner surface of said frebrick and lling the spaces between said wearing members to cover said tie rods, the surface of said refractory layer being substantially flush with the Wearing surfaces of said wear members.

5. In combination: a cupola having a tubular cylindrical body and having an enlarged tubular cylindrical upper portion connected to said body by a funnel-shaped portion; a tubular layer of firebrick lining said upper and funnel-shaped portions of said cupola; a plurality of spaced vertical metal wear members of predetermined depth, normal to the rebrick disposed against the inner surface of the firebrick and lining the cylindrical upper portion of the cupola; a plurality of spaced inclined wear member of predetermined depth, normal to the firebrick positioned on the firebrick and lining the funnelshaped portion of the cupola, said wear members having wearing surfaces spaced from said rebrick; means rigidly connecting said vertical and inclined wear members to form a unitary tubular basket having a funnel-shaped bottom; and a layer of refractory material overlying said iirebrick layer and filling the spaces between said wear members, the surface of said refractory layer being substantially ush With the wearing surfaces of sarl wear members.

6. En a cupola: a tubular wall, a plurality of spaced vertically extending metal I-rails of predetermined depth z normal to the iirebrick embodied in said Wall, said rails having vertical wearing surfaces on the interior of the cupola, a plurality of spaced circumferentially extending tie rods rigidly connecting said rails to form a unitary tubular basket, said wall including a layer of castable refractory material filling the spaces between said rails and covering said tie rods, the surface of said refractory layer being substantially iush with the Wearing surfaces of said layers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNTED STATES PATENTS 1,459,895 ives June 26, 1923 2,148,856 Cope Feb. 28, 1939 2,230,141 Hever Jan. 28, 1941 2,486,348 Wehr Oct. 25, 1949 2,589,519 Cope Jan. 1, 1952

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