Methods and apparatus for constructing glass furnace structures

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for constructing refractory structures, e.g., glass furnace regenerator structures and/or glass furnace structures formed of refractory components, the refractory structure being housed within a building having a roof support elements. Cross-support beams are provided to latitudinally span the refractory structure and are suspended from roof support elements associated with the building housing the refractory structure by a suspension support system attached to the cross-support beams. An overhead crane assembly may thus be supported by the cross-support beams.

Claims

1. A method of constructing a crane assembly relative to a refractory structure formed of refractory components, the refractory structure being housed within a building having roof support elements, wherein the method comprises: (i) spanning the refractory structure in a cross-wise direction thereof with cross-support beams; (ii) supporting the cross-support beams by a suspension support system which comprises pairs of tensioned support cables attached between opposed ends of the cross-support beams and the roof support elements of the building housing the refractory structure; and (iii) supporting an overhead crane assembly by the cross-support beams.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the refractory structure is at least one of a regenerator structure and a glass furnace structure.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the suspension supports comprise rigid suspension beams.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the refractory structure is a glass furnace regenerator structure having walls comprised of refractory blocks and an interior comprised of checker bricks, and wherein the method further comprises operating the overhead crane assembly so as to position the refractory blocks and/or the checker bricks.

5. A method of constructing a crane assembly relative to a refractory structure formed of refractory components, the refractory structure being housed within a building having roof support elements, wherein the method comprises: (i) spanning the refractory structure in a cross-wise direction thereof with cross-support beams; (ii) supporting the cross-support beams by a suspension support system attached to the roof support elements of the building housing the refractory structure; and (iii) supporting an overhead crane assembly by the cross-support beams, wherein step (i) comprises rigidly connecting the cross-support beams to a longitudinally oriented lower roof support beam of the building housing the refractory structure.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the refractory structure is a glass furnace regenerator structure having walls comprised of refractory blocks and an interior comprised of checker bricks, and wherein the method further comprises operating the overhead crane assembly so as to position the refractory blocks and/or the checker bricks.

7. A method of constructing a crane assembly relative to a refractory structure formed of refractory components, the refractory structure being housed within a building having roof support elements, wherein the method comprises: (i) spanning the refractory structure in a cross-wise direction thereof with cross-support beams; (ii) supporting the cross-support beams by a suspension support system attached to the roof support elements of the building housing the refractory structure; and (iii) supporting an overhead crane assembly by the cross-support beams, and wherein the method further comprises: (a) installing a pair of raceway beams which longitudinally extend relative to the refractory structure and are dependently supported by the cross-support beams; (b) moveably mounting a bridge beam to the pair of raceway beams for reciprocal movements therealong in a longitudinal direction of the refractory structure; and (c) moveably mounting a hoist to the bridge beam for reciprocal movements therealong in a latitudinal direction of the refractory structure, wherein step (a) includes installing the raceway beams so that one end portion of the raceway beams is supported in a cantilever manner by a cross-support beam to thereby cause the one end of the raceway beams to extend beyond a respective end of the refractory structure.

8. The method according to claim 5 or 7, wherein the refractory structure is at least one of a regenerator structure and a glass furnace structure.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the refractory structure is a glass furnace regenerator structure having walls comprised of refractory blocks and an interior comprised of checker bricks, and wherein the method further comprises operating the overhead crane assembly so as to position the refractory blocks and/or the checker bricks.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

(1) The disclosed embodiments of the present invention will be better and more completely understood by referring to the following detailed description of exemplary non-limiting illustrative embodiments in conjunction with the drawings of which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a regenerator structure showing an apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and

(3) FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial end elevation view taken along line 2-2 in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(4) Accompanying FIG. 1 schematically depicts a perspective view of a regenerator structure 10 showing an overhead crane apparatus 50 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As is known, the regenerator structure 10 is constructed of large pre-cast refractor blocks stacked on a foundation to thereby side and end walls 16, 18, respectively. It will be appreciated that the regenerator structure 10 is used in operative combination with a glass furnace (not shown). The regenerator structure 10 generally depicted in the accompanying FIGURES is of a type used for side-fired glass furnaces. However, the attributes of the embodiments of the invention to be described herein are equally applicable to other glass furnace designs, e.g. end-fired glass furnaces.

(5) The regenerator structure 10 includes a series of ports (not shown) which are used to introduce pre-heated combustion air into the glass furnace (not shown) or to exhaust combustion gas from the furnace depending on the operational cycle. The top of the regenerator structure 10 is capped with crowns (a representative few of which are noted by reference numeral 10-2). The walls 16, 18 are structurally supported by external upright structural beams known colloquially as buck stays 20. As is known, the buck stays 20 are compressively held against the walls by means of tie rods (not shown) extending between opposed pairs of buck stays 20 both latitudinally and longitudinally relative to the regenerator structure 10.

(6) The overhead crane apparatus 50 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention is depicted as including cross-support beams 54 latitudinally spanning the regenerator structure 10. The cross-support beams are preferably attached to a lower roof support beam 57 associated with a building (not shown) housing the refractory structure 10 and extending longitudinally relative thereto. Attachment of the cross-support beams 54 to the lower roof support beam 55 may be accomplished by any convenient means, e.g., clamping, riveting, welding or the like, which does not weaken the structural integrity of the lower roof support beam 55.

(7) The cross-support beams 54 are further supported from upper roof trusses or like structures (not shown) associated with the building housing the refractory structure 10 by opposed pairs of suspension supports 57, e.g., tensioned suspension cables and/or rigid support beams). One end of the suspension supports 57 is attached to a respective lateral end of a cross-support beam 54 while the opposite end thereof is attached to portion of a correspondingly positioned upper roof truss or like structure.

(8) The cross-support beams 54 dependently support a pair of runway beams 56 between which is connected a travelling bridge beam 58. The bridge beam 58 includes an overhead travelling hoist system 60. According to preferred embodiments, the runway beams 56 are supported in a cantilever manner by the end-most cross-support beams 54 so that the terminal end portions of such runway beams 56 extend beyond the wall 18 of the regenerator structure 10 thereby enabling access to refractory structures or other heavy equipment therebelow.

(9) Suitable operator controlled motors (not shown) are provided with the bridge beam 58 to allow it to reciprocally travel along the runway beams 56 in a longitudinal direction of the regenerator structure (i.e., in the direction of arrow A1 in FIG. 1). Similarly, operator controlled motors (not shown) are provided with the hoist 60 to allow it to travel reciprocally along the bridge beam in a latitudinal direction of the regenerator structure 10 (i.e., in a direction of arrow A2 in FIG. 1). The hoist 60 may be connected to a suitable lifting sling or the like to allow refractory elements (e.g., checker bricks, refractory blocks, refractory bricks and the like) to be lifted up and into the interior of the regenerator structure 10, e.g., by suitably operating the bridge beam 58 and hoist 60 so as to travel in the directions of arrows A1 and A2 while simultaneously causing the hoist 60 to raise or lower the secured load (i.e., in a direction transverse to arrows A1 and A2). In such a manner, therefore, the checker bricks within the regenerator structure 10 may be replaced and/or refractory blocks/bricks associated with the walls 16 and/or 18 may be installed as may be needed.

(10) Although pairs of runway beams 56 are depicted in the accompanying drawing FIGS. 1-2 as supporting a travelling bridge beam 58, the latter in turn supporting the hoist 60, the present invention could be embodied in one or more monorail systems whereby the travelling hoist 60 is carried by a monorail extending the lengthwise extent of the refractory structure. In such an embodiment, the monorail may be connected directly to the cross-support beams 54 or may be connected thereto via suitable hangers as described more fully in commonly owned U.S. application Ser. No. 14/859,820 filed Sep. 21, 2015, the entire content of which is expressly incorporated hereinto by reference).

(11) Therefore, although the embodiments have been described in relation to a cross-fired glass furnace system, the principles of the invention may likewise be embodied in any glass furnace design, such as float furnaces, end-fired furnaces, unit melters with recuperators and electric furnaces with shelf, sidewall or bottom electrodes.

(12) It will therefore be understood that the description provided herein is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments of the invention. Thus, the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope thereof.