A robotized system for fixing a sliding gate valve plate to a sliding gate valve or removing a sliding gate valve plate from a sliding gate valve comprises a sliding gate valve plate, a metallurgic vessel provided with a sliding gate valve comprising a plate support frame comprising a receiving cradle suitable for receiving and locking the sliding gate valve plate, and a robot comprising a handling interface provided with gripping clamps for gripping the sliding gate valve plate. The sliding gate valve plate comprises gripping holds mating the gripping clamps of the robot, such that the robot can securely hold and handle the sliding gate valve plate.

Slide closure for a vessel that operatively contains molten metal, comprising: a slide housing including a recess receiving a first refractory closure plate; a slide unit including an opening receiving a second refractory closure plate; wherein at least one clamping mechanism is arranged to start the clamping of the corresponding refractory closure plate via an actuation of the at least one clamping mechanism when the slide unit is displaced relative to the slide housing and the first and the second refractory closure plates are distant apart from each other, essentially before the first and the second faces of the respective first and the second refractory closure plates are in contact under pressure.

Sliding gate for a vessel containing molten metal includes a slide housing, a slide unit guided longitudinally in the slide housing and having a push rod, a mounting and a linear drive removably fastened in the latter and has a drive rod. This drive rod can be connected to the push rod by a coupling. The coupling is designed such that, when the linear drive has been pushed into the mounting, it automatically couples by movement of the drive rod towards the slide unit, while it uncouples when the linear drive is removed from the mounting transversely in relation to the direction of movement of the drive rod. A locking device is actuated by the linear drive and interacts with the mounting, by means of which the linear drive after being pushed into the mounting is fixed in the latter and can be unlocked again before it is removed.

Sliding gate for a vessel containing molten metal includes a slide housing, a slide unit guided longitudinally in the slide housing and having a push rod, a mounting and a linear drive removably fastened in the latter and has a drive rod. This drive rod can be connected to the push rod by a coupling. The coupling is designed such that, when the linear drive has been pushed into the mounting, it automatically couples by movement of the drive rod towards the slide unit, while it uncouples when the linear drive is removed from the mounting transversely in relation to the direction of movement of the drive rod. A locking device is actuated by the linear drive and interacts with the mounting, by means of which the linear drive after being pushed into the mounting is fixed in the latter and can be unlocked again before it is removed.

A sliding gate valve of a metallurgic vessel comprises a carriage. The carriage comprises a plate frame for supporting a first refractory plate and the plate frame is slideably mounted on a carriage support structure for sliding along a first axis. The carriage comprises a selecting device for selecting between a first stroke ΔX1 and a second stroke ΔX2 by moving a blocking member between a blocking and a non-blocking position. When the blocking member is located in the blocking position a first bumper portion of the plate frame is bumping into the blocking member if the plate frame is to slide beyond a nominal end-position. When the blocking member is located in the non-blocking position the first bumper portion is not bumping into the blocking member if the plate frame is to slide beyond a nominal end-position, thereby allowing the plate frame to slide beyond the nominal end-position to a service end-position.

A sliding gate valve of a metallurgic vessel comprises a carriage. The carriage comprises a plate frame for supporting a first refractory plate and the plate frame is slideably mounted on a carriage support structure for sliding along a first axis. The carriage comprises a selecting device for selecting between a first stroke ΔX1 and a second stroke ΔX2 by moving a blocking member between a blocking and a non-blocking position. When the blocking member is located in the blocking position a first bumper portion of the plate frame is bumping into the blocking member if the plate frame is to slide beyond a nominal end-position. When the blocking member is located in the non-blocking position the first bumper portion is not bumping into the blocking member if the plate frame is to slide beyond a nominal end-position, thereby allowing the plate frame to slide beyond the nominal end-position to a service end-position.

A sliding gate device includes a fixed plate fixed to a molten steel container, a sliding plate for opening/closing a nozzle hole, a sliding device moving a case holding the sliding plate, and a contact pressure control mechanism switching between a contact pressure applied state and a no-contact-pressure applied state for the fixed plate and the sliding plate. The contact pressure control mechanism has a support bar member moving relative to the fixed plate, a joining block tool switching between a joined state where the support bar member and the case cooperate with each other, and a joining-released state where the support bar member and the case do not cooperate with each other, and a spring member generating a force applying a contact pressure according to a position of the support bar member.

A sliding gate device includes a fixed plate fixed to a molten steel container, a sliding plate for opening/closing a nozzle hole, a sliding device moving a case holding the sliding plate, and a contact pressure control mechanism switching between a contact pressure applied state and a no-contact-pressure applied state for the fixed plate and the sliding plate. The contact pressure control mechanism has a support bar member moving relative to the fixed plate, a joining block tool switching between a joined state where the support bar member and the case cooperate with each other, and a joining-released state where the support bar member and the case do not cooperate with each other, and a spring member generating a force applying a contact pressure according to a position of the support bar member.

An opening-closing apparatus capable of, when using a robot arm to selectively open and close a component of a sliding nozzle device, reliably opening and closing the component to respective given positions. The apparatus comprises: a hand-like distal module engageable with an openable-closable component of a sliding nozzle device; a force sensor to detect a force received by the module; and a robot arm to which the module and the sensor are mounted. The robot arm is controllably operated to: move the module toward the component of the sliding nozzle device and engage the module with the component of the sliding nozzle device; then move the module to move the component, if the absolute value of the force detected by the sensor is equal to or less than a given threshold; and stop the movement of the module, when the absolute value of the force detected by the sensor reaches the threshold.

A sliding gate device includes a fixed plate fixed to a molten steel container, a sliding plate for opening/closing a nozzle hole, a sliding device moving a case holding the sliding plate, and a contact pressure control mechanism switching between a contact pressure applied state and a no-contact-pressure applied state for the fixed plate and the sliding plate. The contact pressure control mechanism has a support bar member supported to move relative to the fixed plate, a joining block tool switching between a joined state where the support bar member and the case cooperate with each other by mounting the joining block tool therebetween, and a joining-released state where the support bar member and the case do not cooperate with each other by dismounting the joining block tool, and a spring member generating a force applying a contact pressure according to a position of the support bar member.