Valve plate assembly for a molten metal slide gate valve

Abstract

An improved valve plate assembly is provided for use in a slide gate valve. The valve plate assembly includes a refractory valve plate having an orifice positioned along its longitudinal centerline, and truncated corners for optimizing the clamping forces to reduce and/or contain cracking caused by thermal expansion. The size and shape of the plate is defined by the design maximum design orifice diameter and the service the plate is designed to address.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . An improved common valve plate for controlling a flow of molten metal in a slide gate valve comprising:
 a refractory plate having an orifice, a first and second long side, a first and second orifice end truncated corners, a first and second shutoff end truncated corners, a shutoff end, a short side orifice end, a shut off margin circle, and a longitudinal centerline, in which:   (i) the orifice is configured to allow molten metal to flow through the refractory plate, the center of the orifice being positioned at the intersection of the longitudinal centerline and a transverse orifice centerline;   (ii) the first and second long sides being parallel to the longitudinal centerline, the first and second long sides being positioned at opposite sides of the longitudinal centerline at a distance of approximately 1.125 to 1.50 times the maximum design orifice diameter;   (iii) the short side shutoff end is approximately 1.0 times the maximum design orifice beyond a transverse shutoff centerline, the transverse shutoff centerline being perpendicular to the longitudinal centerline and positioned approximately 1.5 to 2.5 times the maximum design orifice diameter from the transverse orifice centerline;   (iv) the short side orifice end is located at an end of the refractory plate opposite of that of the short side shutoff end, the short side orifice end being approximately 1.625 to 2.0 times the maximum design orifice away from the transverse orifice centerline at an end of the refractory plate opposite that of the short side shutoff end, the distance between the short side shutoff end and short orifice end being the sum of the shut off stroke plus the distance from the transverse orifice centerline to the short side orifice end plus the distance from the transverse centerline at shutoff to the shutoff end;   (v) the shutoff margin circle providing an area sufficient to prevent molten metal from an upstream orifice that is adjacent to the refractory plate from flowing around the first and second sides or truncated sides, the shutoff margin circle being centered at the intersection of the longitudinal centerline and transverse shutoff centerline and having a diameter that is approximately 2.0 times the maximum design orifice diameter;   (vi) the first and second shutoff truncate corners being positioned at the shutoff end of the refractory plate, the first truncated shutoff corner being defined by a first line that extends from the intersection of the first long side and the transverse shutoff centerline falls tangent to the shutoff margin circle and continues until the first line intersects the short side shutoff end, the second truncated shutoff corner being defined by a second line that extends from the intersection of the second long side and the transverse shutoff centerline falls tangent to the shutoff margin circle and continues until the second line intersects the short side shutoff end; and   (vii) the first and second orifice end truncated corners being positioned at the orifice end of the refractory plate, the first and second orifice end truncated corners extending from the intersection of the first and second long sides, respectively, and a second transverse construction line until intersecting the short side orifice end, the first short end truncated corner being perpendicular to a first orifice end construction line, the second short end truncated corner being perpendicular to a second orifice end construction line, in which:
 the second transverse construction line is approximately 0.5 times the maximum design orifice diameter away from a first transverse construction line that is approximately 1.0 to 1.5 times the maximum design orifice diameters inside the short side orifice end, the first orifice end construction line extends from the intersection of the longitudinal centerline and the first transverse construction line and through the intersection of the second transverse construction line and a first primary longitudinal construction line, the first primary longitudinal construction line being approximately 0.25 to 0.5 times the maximum design orifice diameter inside the first long side; and 
 the second orifice end construction line extends from the intersection of the longitudinal centerline and the first transverse construction line and through the intersection of the second transverse construction line and a first secondary longitudinal construction line, the first secondary longitudinal construction line being approximately 0.25 to 0.5 times the maximum design orifice diameter inside the second long side. 
   
     
     
         2 . The common valve plate of  claim 1 , further including a first and a second truncated side, wherein the first truncated side extends from the intersection of the first long side and a third transverse construction line to the intersection of the first primary longitudinal construction line and the short side shutoff end, and the second side extends from the intersection of the second long side and the third transverse construction line to the intersection of the first secondary longitudinal construction line and the short side shutoff end, wherein the third transverse construction line is positioned approximately 0.25 times the maximum design orifice diameter from the transverse orifice centerline toward the transverse shutoff centerline. 
     
     
         3 . The common valve plate of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second truncation sides extend from (a) the intersection of the first and second long sides, respectively, and a line that is approximately 0.25 times the maximum design orifice diameter beyond the transverse orifice centerline in the direction of the short side shutoff end to (b) the short side shutoff end, and are tangent to a circle that is centered the intersection of the longitudinal centerline and the transverse shutoff centerline and is approximately 2.0 times the maximum design orifice diameter. 
     
     
         4 . The common valve plate of any one of  claims 1 - 3 , wherein each of the first and second sides are positioned at opposite sides of the longitudinal centerline at a distance of approximately 1.375 to 1.50 times the maximum design orifice diameter. 
     
     
         5 . The common valve plate of any one of  claims 1 - 4 , wherein the short side orifice end is approximately 1.75 to 2.0 times the maximum design orifice away from the transverse orifice centerline. 
     
     
         6 . The common valve plate of any one of  claims 1 - 5 , wherein the first orifice end construction line is approximately 0.5 times the maximum diameter inside the first long side and the second orifice end construction line is approximately 0.5 times the maximum diameter inside the second long side. 
     
     
         7 . The common valve plate of any one of  claims 1 - 3 , wherein each of the first and second sides are positioned at opposite sides of the longitudinal centerline at a distance of approximately 1.125 to 1.25 times the maximum design orifice diameter. 
     
     
         8 . The common valve plate of any one of  claim 1 - 3  or  7 , wherein the short side orifice end is approximately 1.625 to 1.75 times the maximum design orifice away from the transverse orifice centerline. 
     
     
         9 . The common valve plate of anyone of  claims 1 - 3  and  7 - 8 , wherein the first orifice end construction line is approximately 0.25 times the maximum diameter inside the first long side and the second orifice end construction line is approximately 0.25 times the maximum diameter inside the second long side. 
     
     
         10 . The common valve plate of any one of  claims 1 - 9 , wherein the external corners of the refractory plate are radiused. 
     
     
         11 . The common valve plate of any one of  claims 1 - 10 , wherein the plate is partially encased in a metal can. 
     
     
         12 . The common valve plate of any one of  claims 1 - 11 , wherein the plate is encircled by a metal band. 
     
     
         13 . The common valve plate of any one of  claims 1 - 12 , wherein the shutoff end of the refractory plate is defined by a radius that is 1.0 times the maximum design orifice diameter and which is tangent to the first and second short end truncated corners and the short side shutoff end. 
     
     
         14 . The common valve plate of any one of  claims 1 - 13 , wherein the shutoff end of the refractory plate is a radiused shutoff end that follows the shutoff margin circle from the tangency of the first shutoff end truncated corner to the second shutoff truncated corner. 
     
     
         15 . The common valve plate of any one of  claims 1 - 14 , wherein the refractory plate is made asymmetrical about the longitudinal centerline by displacing one of the orifice end truncations plus or minus 0.125 to 0.25 maximum design orifice diameters along the long side. 
     
     
         16 . The common valve plate of any one of  claims 1 - 15  wherein the refractory plate includes external corners that are radiused. 
     
     
         17 . An improved symmetrical valve plate for controlling a flow of molten metal in a slide gate valve, comprising:
 a refractory plate having an orifice, a longitudinal centerline, a transverse orifice centerline, a first and a second symmetrical end, a first and second long side, in which:
 (i) the transverse shutoff centerlines positioned along said longitudinal centerline at a distance of the shutoff stroke from the transverse centerline at the orifice on either side of said centerline at orifice; 
 (ii) the first and second long sides being located on opposite sides of the longitudinal centerline, the first and second long sides being positioned approximately 1.125 to 1.50 times the maximum design orifice diameter away from the longitudinal centerline; and 
 (iii) the first and second symmetrical ends of the refractory plate being divided generally at the transverse orifice centerline, the first and second symmetrical ends each configured to stop the flow of molten metal from an adjacent upstream orifice, the first and second symmetrical ends both having a first and second truncated side, a transverse shutoff centerline, and a short side cutoff end, in which:
 (a) the short side shutoff ends of the first and second symmetrical end being separated by a distance of equal to approximately twice the shutoff stroke plus 1.0 times the maximum design orifice diameter beyond the shutoff stroke on both ends; 
 (b) the transverse shutoff centerline is positioned approximately 1.50 to 2.0 times the maximum design orifice from the transverse orifice centerline; and 
 (c) for both the first and second side symmetrical ends, the first and second truncated sides are joined to short side shutoff end by truncated corners, the truncated corners being tangent to a circle having a diameter 2.0 times the maximum design orifice diameter that is located at the intersection of the longitudinal centerline and the transverse shutoff centerline, the truncated corners extending from the intersection of transverse shutoff centerlines and the first and the second long sides until the truncated sides intersect the short side shutoff ends. 
 
   
     
     
         18 . The symmetrical valve plate of  claim 17 , wherein the first and second long sides are positioned 1.375 to 1.50 times the maximum design orifice diameter away from the longitudinal centerline. 
     
     
         19 . The symmetrical valve plate of  claim 17 , wherein the first and second long sides are positioned 1.125 to 1.25 times the maximum design orifice diameter away from the longitudinal centerline. 
     
     
         20 . The symmetrical valve plate of  claim 18  or  19 , wherein the first and symmetrical ends both having first and second truncated sides, in which:
 (i) the first truncated side of the first symmetrical end is configured to extend from the intersection of a first primary transverse construction line and a first long side to the intersection of the first primary longitudinal construction line and the short side shutoff end of the first symmetrical end; 
 (ii) the second truncated side of the first symmetrical end is configured to extend from the intersection of a first primary transverse construction line and a second long side to the intersection of the first secondary longitudinal construction line and the short side shutoff end of the first symmetrical end; 
 (iii) the first truncated side of the second symmetrical end is configured to extend from the intersection of a first secondary transverse construction line and a first long side to the intersection of the first primary longitudinal construction line and the short side shutoff end of the second symmetrical end; 
 (ii) the second truncated side of the second symmetrical end is configured to extend from the intersection of a first secondary transverse construction line and a second long side to the intersection of the first secondary longitudinal construction line and the short side shutoff end of the second symmetrical end; and
 (a) the first primary and secondary transverse construction lines are located at opposite sides of the transverse orifice centerline and are positioned approximately 0.25 times the maximum design orifice from the transverse orifice centerline; and 
 (b) the first primary and secondary longitudinal construction lines are located on opposite sides of the longitudinal centerline and are positioned approximately 0.25 times the maximum design orifice from inward from the adjacent first and second long sides. 
 
 
     
     
         21 . The symmetrical valve plate of  claim 20 , wherein the external corners are radiused. 
     
     
         22 . The symmetrical valve plate of  claim 20 , wherein the plate is partially encased in a metal can. 
     
     
         23 . The symmetrical valve plate of  claim 20 , wherein the plate is encircled by a metal band. 
     
     
         24 . The symmetrical valve plate of  claim 20 , wherein both shutoff ends of the refractory plate are defined by a radius that is 1.0 times the maximum design orifice diameter and which is tangent to the first and second short end truncated corners and the short side shutoff end. 
     
     
         25 . The symmetrical valve plate of  claim 15 , wherein the plate is made asymmetrical about the longitudinal centerline by displacing one of the orifice truncations plus or minus 0.125 to 0.25 along the long side. 
     
     
         26 . An improved moving valve plate for controlling a flow of molten metal in a slide gate valve, comprising:
 a refractory valve plate having an orifice, a first and a second long side, a short side shutoff end, a short side orifice end, a first and a second shutoff end truncated corners, and a first and second orifice end truncated corners, in which:   (i) the orifice is configured to allow molten metal to flow through the refractory plate, the center of the orifice being positioned at the intersection of the longitudinal centerline and a transverse orifice centerline;   (ii) the first and second long sides being parallel to the longitudinal centerline, the first and second long sides being positioned at opposite sides of the longitudinal centerline at a distance of approximately 1.50 to 1.75 times the maximum design orifice diameter;   (iii) the short side orifice end is approximately 1.25 to 1.375 times the maximum design orifice beyond a transverse orifice centerline. the transverse shutoff centerline being perpendicular to the longitudinal centerline and positioned approximately 1.5 to 2.5 times the maximum design orifice diameter from the transverse orifice centerline;   (iv) the short side shutoff end located at an end of the refractory plate that is opposite of that of the short side orifice end, the short side shutoff end being approximately 1.75 to 2.125 times the maximum design orifice diameter from the transverse orifice centerline;   (v) the first and second short side truncate corners being positioned at the short side orifice end of the refractory plate, the first and second short side truncated corners being tangent to a circle that is located at the intersection of the longitudinal centerline and the transverse orifice centerline, the circle having a diameter of approximately 2.50 to 2.75 times the maximum design orifice diameter, in which:
 (a) the first short side truncated corner extends from the intersection of a first transverse construction line and the first long side until the first short side truncated corner intersects with the short side orifice end, the first transverse construction line being generally perpendicular to the longitudinal centerline and positioned approximately 0.05 to 1.0 times the maximum design orifice diameters inside the short side orifice end; 
 (b) the second short side truncated corner extends from the intersection of the first transverse construction line and the second long side until the second short side truncated corner intersects with the short side orifice end; 
   (vii) the first and second shutoff end truncated corners being positioned at the shutoff end of the refractory plate, the first and second shutoff end truncated corners extending from the intersection of the first and second long sides, respectively, and a third transverse construction line until intersecting the short side shutoff end, the first shutoff end truncated corner being perpendicular to a first shutoff end construction line, the second shutoff end truncated corner being perpendicular to a second shutoff end construction line, in which:
 the third transverse construction line is approximately 1.125 to 1.50 times the maximum design orifice diameter away from the transverse shutoff centerline toward the short side shutoff end; 
 the first shutoff end construction line extends from the intersection of the longitudinal centerline and a second transverse construction line and through the intersection of the third transverse construction line and a first primary longitudinal construction line, the first longitudinal construction line being 0.25 times the maximum design orifice diameter inside the first long side, the second transverse construction line being approximately 0.375 to 0.5 times the maximum design orifice diameter from the transverse shutoff centerline toward the short side shutoff end; and 
 the second shutoff end construction line extends from the intersection of the longitudinal centerline and a second transverse construction line and through the intersection of the third transverse construction line and a first secondary longitudinal construction line, the second longitudinal construction line being 0.25 times the maximum design orifice diameter inside the second long side. 
   
     
     
         27 . The moving valve plate of  claim 26 , wherein each of the first and second sides are positioned at opposite sides of the longitudinal centerline at a distance of 1.75 times the maximum design orifice diameter. 
     
     
         28 . The moving valve plate of  claim 26  or  27 , wherein the short side orifice end is approximately 1.375 times the maximum design orifice diameter from the transverse orifice centerline. 
     
     
         29 . The moving valve plate of any one of  claims 26 - 28 , wherein the short side shutoff end is approximately 2.125 times the maximum design orifice diameter from the transverse orifice centerline. 
     
     
         30 . The moving plate of any one of  claims 26 - 29 , wherein the first transverse construction line is approximately 1.0 times the maximum design orifice diameters from the short side orifice end. 
     
     
         31 . The moving plate of any one of  claims 26 - 30 , wherein the first transverse construction line is approximately 0.50 times the maximum design orifice diameters. 
     
     
         32 . The moving plate of any one of  claims 26 - 31 , wherein the second transverse construction line is approximately 0.5 times the maximum design orifice diameter from the transverse shutoff centerline toward the short side shutoff end. 
     
     
         33 . The moving valve plate of  claim 26 , wherein each of the first and second sides are positioned at opposite sides of the longitudinal centerline at a distance of 1.50 times the maximum design orifice diameter. 
     
     
         34 . The moving valve plate of  claim 26  or  33 , wherein the short side orifice end is approximately 1.375 times the maximum design orifice diameter from the transverse orifice centerline. 
     
     
         35 . The moving valve plate of any one of  claim 26  or  33 - 34 , wherein the short side shutoff end is approximately 2.125 times the maximum design orifice diameter from the transverse shutoff centerline. 
     
     
         36 . The moving plate of any one of  claim 26  or  33 - 35 , wherein the first transverse construction line is approximately 0.5 times the maximum design orifice diameters from the short side orifice end. 
     
     
         37 . The moving plate of any one of  claim 26  or  33 - 37 , wherein the third transverse construction line is approximately 1.125 times the maximum design orifice diameters beyond the transverse shutoff centerline. 
     
     
         38 . The moving plate of any one of  claim 26  or  33 - 37 , wherein the second transverse construction line is approximately 0.375 times the maximum design orifice diameter from the shutoff centerline. 
     
     
         39 . The moving plate of any one of  claims 26 - 38 , further including a first and a second truncated side, wherein the first truncated side extends from the intersection of the first long side and the transverse shutoff centerline to the intersection of the first primary longitudinal construction line and the short side orifice end, and the second truncated side extends from the intersection of the second long side and the transverse shutoff centerline to the intersection of the first secondary longitudinal construction line and the short side orifice end. 
     
     
         40 . The moving plate of any one of  claims 26 - 39 , wherein the external corners of the refractory plate are radiused. 
     
     
         41 . The moving plate of any one of  claims 26 - 41 , wherein the refractory plate is partially encased in a metal can. 
     
     
         42 . The moving plate of any one of  claims 26 - 41 , wherein the refractory plate is encircled by a metal band. 
     
     
         43 . The moving plate of any one of  claims 26 - 42 , wherein the refractory plate is made asymmetrical about the longitudinal centerline by displacing one of the orifice end truncations plus or minus 0.125 to 0.25 maximum design orifice diameters along the long side. 
     
     
         44 . An improved stationary plate for controlling a flow of molten metal in a slide gate valve, comprising:
 a refractory valve plate having an orifice, a first and a second long side, an entrance end, an exit end, a first and a second entrance end truncated corners, and a first and second exit end truncated corners, in which:   (i) the orifice is configured to allow molten metal to flow through the refractory plate, the center of the orifice being positioned at the intersection of the longitudinal centerline and a transverse orifice centerline;   (ii) the first and second long sides being parallel to the longitudinal centerline, the first and second long sides being positioned at opposite sides of the longitudinal centerline at a distance of approximately 1.125 to 1.25 times the maximum design orifice diameter;   (iii) the entrance end is approximately 1.625 to 1.875 times the maximum design orifice beyond a transverse orifice centerline;   (iv) the exit end being positioned at an end of the refractory plate that is opposite of that of the entrance end, the exit end being approximately 1.50 to 1.625 times the maximum design orifice diameter from the transverse orifice centerline;   (v) the first and second entrance end truncate corners being positioned at the entrance end of the refractory plate, the first and second entrance end truncated corners being tangent to a circle that is located at the intersection of the longitudinal centerline and a first transverse construction line, the circle having a diameter of approximately 2.0 times the maximum design orifice diameter, the first transverse construction line being generally perpendicular to the longitudinal centerline and positioned approximately 1.0 times the maximum design orifice diameters inside the entrance end, in which:
 (a) the first entrance end truncated corner extends from the intersection of the first transverse construction line and the first long side, extending to be tangent with said circle, extending until the first entrance end truncated corner intersects with the entrance end, 
 (b) the second entrance end truncated corner extends from the intersection of the first transverse construction line and the second long side, extending to be tangent with said circle, extending until the second entrance end truncated corner intersects with the entrance end orifice end; 
   (vii) the first and second exit end truncated corners being positioned at the exit end of the refractory plate, the first and second exit end truncated corners extending from the intersection of the first and second long sides, respectively, and a third transverse construction line until intersecting the exit end, the first exit end truncated corner being perpendicular to a first exit end construction line, the second exit end truncated corner being perpendicular to a second exit end construction line, in which:
 (a) the second transverse construction line is approximately 1.0 to 1.25 times the maximum design orifice diameter away from the exit end toward the transverse orifice centerline; 
 (b) the third transverse construction line is approximately 0.50 times the maximum design orifice diameter away from the second transverse construction line towards the exit end; 
 (c) the first exit end construction line extends from the intersection of the longitudinal centerline and a second transverse construction line and through the intersection of the third transverse construction line and a first primary longitudinal construction line, the first longitudinal construction line being approximately 0.25 times the maximum design orifice diameter inside the first long side; and 
 (d) the second exit end construction line extends from the intersection of the longitudinal centerline and a second transverse construction line and through the intersection of the third transverse construction line and a first secondary longitudinal construction line, the second longitudinal construction line being approximately 0.25 times the maximum design orifice diameter inside the second long side. 
   
     
     
         45 . The improved plate of  claim 44 , wherein the external corners are radiused. 
     
     
         46 . The improved plate of  claim 44  or  45 , wherein the plate is partially encased in a metal can. 
     
     
         47 . The improved plate of any one of  claims 43 - 46 , wherein the plate is encircled by a metal band. 
     
     
         48 . The improved plate of any one of  claims 43 - 47 , wherein the entrance end of the plate is defined by a radius of 1.0 maximum design orifice diameters tangent to the corner truncations and the entrance end. 
     
     
         49 . The improved plate of any one of  claims 43 - 48 , wherein the plate is made asymmetrical about the longitudinal centerline by displacing one of the exit end truncations plus or minus 0.125 to 0.25 maximum design orifice diameters along the long side.