Molten Metal Supply Device

Abstract

A molten metal supply device designed to mount a ladle-rotating motor on a support frame and dispose a ladle-rotating rotation transfer mechanism in a predetermined link of a ladle-carrying link mechanism so as to be able to perform precise position control (tilt angle control) of a ladle. The rotation transfer mechanism is driven by the ladle-rotating motor mounted on the support frame so as to rotate the ladle. The rotation transfer mechanism is provided in a link of the ladle-carrying link mechanism for carrying the ladle. The rotation transfer mechanism is constituted by two parallel linkages. Each parallel linkage has a pair of bar links whose opposite ends are attached to two rotors respectively. When the ladle-rotating motor is being stopped, the ladle can be kept in a predetermined posture by the parallel linkages even if the ladle-carrying link mechanism has any operating posture.

1 . A molten metal supply device in which a predetermined quantity of molten metal is scooped from a melting furnace by a ladle, and the molten metal in the ladle carried to an upper side of a supply port of a shot sleeve is injected into the shot sleeve through the supply port, the molten metal supply device comprising:
 a ladle-carrying link mechanism for carrying the ladle;   a ladle-rotating rotation transfer mechanism which is provided in a predetermined link of the ladle-carrying link mechanism; and   a ladle-rotating motor for driving the rotation transfer mechanism so as to rotate the ladle, the ladle-rotating motor being mounted on a support frame;   wherein the rotation transfer mechanism is constituted by two parallel linkages each having a pair of bar links whose opposite ends are attached to two rotors respectively and which form a parallel linkage, so that the ladle can be kept in a predetermined posture by the parallel linkages even if the ladle-carrying link mechanism has any posture when the ladle-rotating motor is being stopped.   
     
     
         2 . A molten metal supply device according to Claim l, wherein at least one end portion of each of the bar links of the parallel linkages is formed into a curved shape so as to avoid interference with any of shaft members rotating integrally with the rotors. 
     
     
         3 . A molten metal supply device in which a predetermined quantity of molten metal is scooped from a melting furnace by a ladle, and the molten metal in the ladle carried to an upper side of a supply port of a shot sleeve is injected into the shot sleeve through the supply port, the molten metal supply device comprising:
 a ladle-carrying motor mounted on a support frame;   a ladle-carrying output shaft for decelerating rotation of the ladle-carrying motor and outputting the decelerated rotation;   a ladle-rotating motor mounted on the support frame;   a ladle-rotating output shaft for decelerating rotation of the ladle-rotating motor and outputting the decelerated rotation;   a first link whose one end portion is rotatably retained on the ladle-rotating output shaft;   a first spindle rotatably provided on the other end portion of the first link;   a second link whose one end portion is rotatably retained on the first spindle;   a third link whose one end portion is fixed to the ladle-carrying output shaft;   a fourth link whose one end portion is rotatably coupled with an intermediate portion of the second link and which has an intermediate portion with which the other end portion of the third link is rotatably coupled;   a fifth link whose one end portion is rotatably retained around the ladle-rotating output shaft and whose other end portion is rotatably coupled with the other end portion of the fourth link;   a first rotor which is received in the one end portion of the first link and fixed to the ladle-rotating output shaft;   a pair of first bar links which are received in the first link and whose one end portions are rotatably attached to the first rotor so as to form a parallel linkage;   a second rotor which is received in the other end portion of the first link and fixed to the first spindle, and to which the other end portions of the pair of the first bar links are rotatably attached respectively;   a third rotor which is received in the one end portion of the second link and fixed to the first spindle;   a pair of second bar links which are received in the second link and whose one end portions are rotatably attached to the third rotor so as to form a parallel linkage;   a fourth rotor which is received in the other end portion of the second link and fixed to a second spindle rotatably retained on the other end portion of the second link and to which the other end portions of the pair of the second bar links are rotatably attached respectively; and   a ladle whose base end portion is fixed to the second spindle; wherein:   a five-bar link age constituted by the first, second, third, fourth and fifth links is driven by rotation of the ladle-carrying motor so as to carry the ladle;   a parallel linkage constituted by the first rotor, the pair of the first bar links and the second rotor and a parallel linkage constituted by the third rotor, the pair of the second bar links and the fourth rotor are driven by rotation of the ladle-rotating motor so as to rotate the ladle; and   the ladle can be kept in a predetermined posture by the two parallel linkages even if the five-bar linkage has any posture when the ladle-rotating motor is being stopped.   
     
     
         4 . A molten metal supply device according to  claim 3 , wherein each pair of the first bar links and the second bar links are attached to their corresponding rotors with a phase difference of 90 degrees from each other. 
     
     
         5 . A molten metal supply device according to  claim 4 , wherein at least one end portion of each of the pair of the first bar links and the pair of the second bar links is formed into a curved shape so as to avoid interference with the ladle-rotating output shaft, the first spindle or the second spindle.