FIELD OF THE INVENTION:
The present invention relates to a carriage for combined accommodation of hot
metal ladle and slag pot adaptable to steel plant with a purpose of minimizing
the use of busy ladle crane and reducing cycle time of slag removal process at
desulphurization station in Steel Making Shop.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION:
In the modern steel plant, steel is produced from the hot liquid metal generated
from the Blast Furnace. The hot liquid metal is poured in a Torpedo shaped ladle
of a car, from the Blast Furnace and the hot metal ladle is transferred to the
steel making converter by means of a Torpedo Ladle car. The steel is produced
in L.D. Converter taking the output of Blast Furnace as an input metal and
smelting is carried out in such converter. The hot metal from the Blast Furnace
has to be processed and the slag is removed before charging the hot metal into
the converter for steel making. Handling of hot metal ladles between re-ladling
pit, slag raking station and de-sulphurisation station has always been a problem
in most of the steel plants because of the busy schedule of ladle cranes. Hence
ladle crane in a steel melting shop has been a constraint resource for increasing
the throughput.
In the steel making shop, the hot metal received in Torpedo ladle car is poured
into the hot metal charging ladle placed on a Torpedo re-ladling car, which in
turn is transferred to the converter bay for processing the same before charging
into the converter. The following operations are performed to process the hot
metal:

• The ladle crane lifts the hot metal charging ladle from the Torpedo re-
ladling car and keeps it on a Ladle tilting stand at the Slag raking station.
• The ladle is tilted at this stand suitably and the Blast Furnace carry over
slag is raked out by the Slag raking machine. Slag is collected in a slag pot
placed on the slag transfer car and disposed off.
• The Ladle crane again lifts the ladle after removing the Blast Furnace
carry over slag and transfers to the de-sulphurisation station.
• After de-sulphurisation process, the ladle is again taken to the slag raking
station for removing the slag.
• After de-slagging, the Ladle crane takes the hot metal ladle for charging in
to the converter.
Since all the above operations are dependent on hot metal handling Ladle
cranes, these Ladle cranes have become the constraint resource in the
system for increasing the number of heats in the converter.
Thus de-bottlenecking of the constraint resource has posed the following
challenges to the operation staff and the designers.
• To make the system less dependent on the constraint resource, i.e.
the Ladle cranes.
• To reduce the cycle time of slag removal process.
• To make the process of slag removal cost effective and safe.
Various designs and operational logistics are thought of and finally the inventors
emphasize on the development of a new type unique carriage which will carry
both hot metal ladle and slag ladle in one unit. This combined hot metal ladle
and slag pot carrying car not only improves cycle time of slag removal process by
eliminating all the movement of ladle between slag raking machine and de-
sulphurisation station but also takes care of all the ladle manipulations required
during functions in the shop.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION:
It is therefore an object of the present invention to propose a combined hot
metal ladle and slag pot carriage which will eliminate the disadvantages of the
existing state of Art.
Another object of the present invention is to propose a combined hot metal ladle
and slag pot carriage which reduces the time of engagement of overhead ladle
crane.
A further object of the present invention is to propose a combined hot metal
ladle and slag pot carriage which increases the number of heats of steel
converters.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:
The present invention is provided with a combined hot metal ladle and slag pot
carriage comprises a structural underframe rests on a plurality of rail wheels
disposed longitudinally along the length; a room on the upper surface of the
underframe to house a slag pot at front side of the carriage; a room on the
upper surface of the underframe to house a hot metal-ladle in the middle
position of the carriage; a cabin on the upper surface of the underframe to
house control panel, mechanical and hydraulical power pack; characterized in
that a control mechanism is provided such that carriage is movable on rail and
dispose off the slag by tilting the hot metal ladle to a standby slag ladle on the
same carriage wherein the slag free hot metal is poured in the steel converter
ladle without any application of overhead crane.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS:
Fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram of the elevation of combined hot metal-slag
ladle carriage as per new invention.
Fig. 2 shows a schematic diagram of the plan of combined hot metal-slag ladle
carriage as per new invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF
THE INVENTION:
The present invention relates to a carriage which comprises a steel structural
underframe (1) rests on a plurality of rail wheels (2) disposed throughout the
length of the carriage. On the upper surface, the underframe is provided with a
room for accommodation of a slag pot (3) in stationary condition at the front
side of the carriage and a room for accommodation of hot metal ladle (4) at the
centre of the carriage and rests on a ladle tilting stand. The underframe is also
provided with a cabin (5) at rear end wherein the travel drive of the car and
controls the electrical, mechanical and hydraulic power pack (7) which controls
the tilting of the hot metal ladle (4) in a clockwise and anti-clockwise direction
and controls the brake mechanism of the carriage. The slag ladle in stationary
position, can be lifted and transferred by means of a crane when it is filled with
slag and replaced with an empty one. The hot metal-slag ladle carriage is useful
for slag free hot metal-ladle to steel converter region.

Before pouring the hot metal to steel converter, slag floating on the hot metal
ladle is raked off by tilting the hot metal ladle to a standby slag pot in the same
carriage without engagement of any crane. Again during de-sulphurisation
process of hot metal, slag is formed which is again raked off by tilting the hot
metal ladle to a standby slag pot. Now the slag free hot metal is ready to be
used in the converter and this have been available without the use of ladle
crane.

WE CLAIM:
1. A combined hot metal ladle and slag pot carriage comprises:
- a structural underframe rests on a plurality of rail wheels disposed
longitudinally along the length;
- a room on the upper surface of the underframe to house a slag pot at
front side of the carriage;
- a room on the upper surface of the underframe to house a hot metal-
ladle in the middle position of the carriage;
- a cabin on the upper surface of the underframe to house control panel,
mechanical and hydraulical power pack;
characterized in that a control mechanism is provided such that the carriage
is movable on rail and dispose off the slag by tilting the hot metal ladle to a
standby slag pot on the same carriage wherein the slag free hot metal is
poured in the steel converter without any application of overhead crane.
2. The combined hot metal ladle and slag pot carriage as claimed in claim 1
wherein the structural underframe is made of steel material.
3. The combined hot metal ladle and slag pot carriage as claimed in claim 1
wherein the cabin of the carriage is provided with control panel of electrical,
mechanical and hydraulic power pack.
4. The combined hot metal ladle and slag pot carriage as claimed in claim 1
wherein the hot metal ladle rests on a tilting stand and is operated by
hydraulical and electrical means from the cabin.

5. The combined hot metal ladle and slag pot carriage as claimed in claim 1
wherein the carriage movement is controlled by the power brake from the
cabin.
6. The combined hot metal ladle and slag pot carriage as claimed in claim 1
wherein the hot metal-ladle is rotated clockwise or anticlockwise via a tilting
stand by hydraulically operated means.
7. The combined hot metal ladle and slag pot carriage as claimed in claim 1
wherein the car moves to and fro from direction by means of electrical motor
and gear and pinion arrangement.
8. The combined hot metal ladle and slag pot carriage as claimed in claim 1
wherein the slag ladle remains in stationary position, only lifting and
placement in position are carried out by overhead crane.
9. The combined hot metal ladle and slag pot carriage as substantially illustrated
and described herein with accompanying drawings.

The present invention is provided with a combined hot metal ladle and slag pot
carriage comprises a structural underframe rests on a plurality of rail wheels
disposed longitudinally along the length; a room on the upper surface of the
underframe to house a slag pot at front side of the carriage; a room on the
upper surface of the underframe to house a hot metal-ladle in the middle
position of the carriage; a cabin on the upper surface of the underframe to
house control panel, mechanical and hydraulical power pack; characterized in
that a control mechanism is provided such that the carriage is movable on rail
and dispose off the slag by tilting the hot metal ladle to a standby slag pot on
the same carriage wherein the slag free hot metal is poured in the steel
converter without any application of overhead crane.