[1]AL x-alented Feb. 19, 1052 2959610-79 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,586,079 STIRRIING APPARATUS FOR MOLTEN GLASS IN FOREHEARTHS@ Karl E. Peiler, West Hartford, Conn., assignor to Enihart Manufactnring Company, a corporation of Delaware AppHeation June 25, 1949, Serial No. 101,374 2 Claims. (Cl. 49-54) 2 This invention relates to improvements in stirring apparatus having means for supporting and operating refractory stirrers in position for use to stir molten glass in a glass feeder forehearth and more particularly to a supporting 5 and operating means for a plurality of refractory stirrers which depend into a glass forehearth channel at spaced places along a line extending transversely of such channel, substantially as disclosed in Patent No. 2,467,809, granted April 10 19, 1949, jointly to Madison M. Cannon, Jr., and the present applicant. Refractory stirrers for stirring molten glass in a forehearth channel or like place wear rapidly in service and must be replaced frequently during 1.5 the active lif e of a f eeder f orehearth. The lif e of such a stirrer may be a few months at the best and may be only a month or even less. Since stirrers are relatively heavy implements and must be removed from and replaced in a 20 place of high temperature and this while the stirrers themselves are highly heated either,because of use in such a hot place, as when stirrers are removed, or because of preheating for replacement, the operation of removing and re- 25 placing stirrers from and in a glass feeding forehearth heretofore has been difficult and has been accomplished only at considerable inconvenience and some hazard to a workman or workmen employed in such operation. It also has required 30 consi 'derable time. ,An object of the present invention is to provide a supporting and operating means for a plurality of refractory glass stirrers of the character described which will facilitate and make relatively 35 easy the task of removing and replacing such stirrers when required. A further object of the invention is to provide a supporting and operating means for stirrers of the character described which affords facili- 40 ties for removal and replacement of stirrers without disassembly or interference with the driving mechanisni for rotating the stirrers when they have been installed. A further object of the invention is the pro- 45 vision in supporting and operating means for stirrers of the character described of simple and effective readily detachable and attachable coupling means for operatively connecting the stirrers with the driving means and disconnecting 50 them therefrom, such coupling means,including individual coupling elements fast to the stirrers and each suitable for detachable connection with a cooperative coupling element of an appropriately positioned hoist by which each such stirrer 55 may be raised and moved to an out-of-the-way position after the stirrer has, been detached from the driving means. A still further object of the invention is the @.)rovision of supporting and operating means.for stirrers of the character described which wiU position the stirrers in operative positions in a feeder forehearth when the stirrers. are operar tively connected therewith and also may in part be moved bodily relative to the forehearth and independently of the stirrers when the latter have been detached therefrom so as to provide an adequate clearance space above and around the upper ends of the stirrers to permit convenient removal of the stirrers from the forehearth channel and the installation therein of replacement stirrers. A further object of the invention is the provision in asupporting and operating means for stirrers of the character described of siinple and effective means actively to predetermine the relative angular relationships about their respective axes which the individual. stirrers will have when they are operat ively,positioned, in a forehearth channel and connected with their driving means. Other objects and advantages of the invention hereinafter will be pointed out or will become obvious from the following description of an illustrative embodiment thereof, as shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a transverse vertical section through a feeder forehearth equipped with three stirrers which are operatively supported in the forehearth channel by supporting and opera means of the preserit invention; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the portion of the forehearth provided with the stirrers and stirrer supporting and operating means, the view showing such supporting and operating means in operative position,, Fig. 3 is a view like Mg. 2 but showing. the stirrers detached from the supporting and operating means and a supporting arm of the lat,ter in a rearwardly swung out-of-theway position above the forehearth; Fig. 4 is a relatively enlarged view, partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section, showing a stirrer spindle of the supporting and operating means together with the means for detachably coupling the stirrer to the spindle; Fig. 5 is a transverse section through the spindle substantially along the line 5-5 of 14g. 4; Fig. 6 is a transverse section through a chuck and the upper portion or shank of a stirrer ]4eld
[2]3 therein, the view being along the line 6-6 of Mg. 4; and Mg. 7 is a perspective view of the stirrer chuck and a fragmentary portion of a stirrer held tl-lerein, together with a coupling element of a hoist engag!Bable w.ith a coupling head on the stirrer chtickiafter the I;atter has been detached from it@ s4uppo@tirig and operating means. Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to Fig. 1, the numeral I generally designates a glass f eeder forehearth to which: stirrer supporting and operating mechanism of the present invention may be applied. Such a forehearth may comprise a channel struettir6 2 it, whicli A stream of molten glass (not shown) may flow. The channel structure is surmounted by a cover structure 3 including a roof - 4;- Figs. 2-- and- 3,@ spanning the space above the forehearth channel., This roof 4 may comprise, cooperative contiguous or abutting. relatively fore-and-aft refractory d(jv6t'81abt- or blocks@ 5 2@nd'6-1 respectively' which A-kd formed at @uitable, pldces albng'theit meeting edges with substantiall3@ semi-;circular notches ot@retegt6s@ 5a and@ 6a ther0in, cooperating to prbvide'- dirdular, opehings in, the f brehearth roof to addommodate witii some@ clearance the upper end portions-of tefractory vertical' stirrers 71 as shov,,n in Fig. !,- when the coob.erative relatively foreand-aft bibeks 5-and 6 are closed or abuttine,, each btlier@-as@-sfiown in Mg. 2. The blocks 5 9,nd 6 aie-ind6p.endently and relatively movable on the forehearth @oof 4. so that the more forwardly loc6ted blocks 6 @ or the reat blocks 6 br both may be moved apart, thereby exppsing a clearance gap 4a Figs. I and' 3, in the forehearth roof for ready ad@ess to and manipulation of stirrers to be removed and for thelk replacerhent by new stirrers. Eacli tirret 7'is An elbngate refractory implement, the upder end portion,.7a, of which may be of rel'atively reduced diameter and is adapted to fit a @plit-collAr, typo. chiick B. Each of these chuc@ks comp.ri8e@@ twb-cobperative sections ga and 86, re@Pettivel'Y, which toglather embrace the portfori 7a of a 8titr6t shank and@ are clamped to tb.e latt6r'by' f@steriirig meons 9 which secure thci sections of the chuck together in a manner conventibrial lii a. split.;t6llbLr@ tylie of chuck. The sti-rrer slidnk and the chtick mdy be ftirther secured to,@,eth6t, b,,jEiit itiwardly- lirbilectifig pin or doviel IO carried by one of the dhuck sections, as th(, section 8b,, in ppsition to enter a suitably fori-qeri. re&es! I I in the, stirrer shank. Tqie elements I @ 6ii'd,@ I I' serve ecs a. means for, locating the stirrer li@i a, desired Ang:u]Arly. turned position in its 6buck@ and thi@ position is indicated by an index element which Is - shov,7n in Fig. 6 As a slightly tiii,@ed,annular@bo 9 I around the oii end of and axiall@r- 6clig d@ with the fostenin.- pin or dowel f@0. Oiie of tli6 6 chuck @edtion8, fis the .@ection Vr,, has an upwardly extending irit6gral attachinp,,, iio@tio@Ti 13@, terrhinating, in 5, coupling head 14. The coulihn@ head 14 comi@ri8es, a flarge 14a haviii6+ its akis. aligned -with the -lower clampin,?., portio- ri, 8a-Bb, of the chuck and. pref6rably is ol' greater diameter than such clamping portion. it thus may 8hi6ld. liarts. locat6d above ar-d in line thet@*ith.fromheb,tradiatedfrombelbw. Aseeond arild- smaller ge, 14b is. located, above and 2,686,079 4 sufficient width to permit movement therethrough of a portion, designated 17, of a spindle I 0 so as to dispose a coupling flange 19 on the lower end of the spindle within the confines of the coupling head 14 between the flanges 14a and !4b of the chuck when coupling of the chuck to the spindle 18 is to be @ effected As shown in, Fig. 4, the peripher6l edge of the coupling flange 19 of the spindle may be slightly reduced at I ga at its top 10, to, fit in the lower end of the central opening 15 of -the chuck coupling flange 14b when the spindle- al@d, chuck coupling elements are operatively engaged with each other. The chuck and the stirrer' carried fhereby thus will be firmly at16 tached to- the. spindle for movements therewith when relative axial movements of the chuck and spindle ft-om@ thoir coupled together positions are prevented, as by means now described. The spindle 18 is tubular and a locking rod 20 2o extends downwardly therethrough. The lower end'of guch rod @ may be beveled or rounded, as indii3ated at20T, t6- bear against a cooperatively shalied'bottom of @a cavity 21 in the top- of the lower flan-ge 14a of the chuck coupling head., The 25 rod 210 @is-provided near its upper end with a relatively enlarged- screw threaded portion 22 in threaded engagement with a threaded relatively enlarge @ or counterborect upper end portion 23a of the bore 23 'of the tiibular spindl , e IO. The rod 30 may bd tuined, about its axis in the: spindle@ 18 in 9, direction to exert a downward thrust on the chuck flange 14a and a like upward th'rust on the spindle-. ThiS willIbck the chuck in plare ori the 16wer end of the spindle. T6 permit uncouplifig 35 of @ these, parts it only, is necessary to turn the rod 20 EtboUt i@s Eixig in the spindle in the reverge direction until the lower end of thi@ rod is spaced above the.flango 14a. For conventent operation of the. i@od 2 0, it niay be. proVid6d at its upper end 40 portion with an operatirf6* handle or,part 24'vVhich is,shown. as resembling awing nut and as fastened to tho rbd 20. by a pin 2-5.- A.jam nut 26 may be providdd. oii.the, screw thread@d upper portion of the rdd,2'0- - and may be tightened against the up45 per. end -of, the. tubular spindle when the rod is iri itg lo'c'king, positibn, as shown. in,Mg. 4. A, chtick,- spindle- and, locking means as describe6- are,provided-for each,of-the stirrerg 7. The,spindIes are-mrried.by a.supporting arm, 50 generally indicated at 27 in Mg. 1. This supporting- arm is pivotally supported at olle end, on an upi-@ight suijp6rtingpost.28.at. one side. of the foreheartb so that such, arm. may extend- transversely across-. and-- in oirerhanging i@elation to the fore55 hearth, channel.. Provision is made at the opposite side of th6 forehear-th.channel to anchor the. free end of the arm when. it is disposed. transversely@ across the, forehearth channelin position to@ support.,the stirrers.suspendedi therefrom in 60 transversel'y spaced, relation along a.line extending.@ transversely of the- f6rehearth channel. The iree, end, of @ the, arm 2 7 carries a roller 2 9 resting upon a horizontally disposed Pat suuport 3Owhich is- carried by: an arm 3 ffastened at 3 2. to an up65 right, support or post 33 at the, opposite side of the- f orehearth. from. the. post 2 8; In the strueture,s-hown,,the.Post-28-is carried by a bracket 34 which. is. fastened, as at. 35. and 39, to a -stationary@suuport@37 which -may be part of t e forein axie@l alignnient with the flange..l 4a and is con- TO heartl@.channel frar@nework or casing. The post riected. thetewith b3f suittlbly spaced connecting 3 3 - is @earried.,by a, bracket 3 8 secured at 3 9 and w6bs. or tods 146 which- may be integral with the 40 @to a. support -41 which also may- be part of the flanges 14d -.and, i 4b.. The. flange, 14b is provided framework or casing--of'.the.@forehearth channel *Ith a. cehtral opening i.5- .having, aside. entrance structure. The, brackets 3 4 and 3 8 are shown as fn il@e f@orrii of a radial slot 16. This slot is of 75 comprising split-collar ty@e cl6mlis 34d and 3$a,
[3]tmectively, of substantial vertical extent holding the posts 28 and 33, respectively, so that these posts may be adjusted vertically within limits. Any other suitable known means firmly to support these posts in predetermined positions at opposite sides of the forehearth may be employed. When the arm 27 extends transversely across the forehearth channel at an approximate right angle therewith as in Flgs. I and 2, it may be. retained in that position by a hook-shaped latching element 42 on its free end engaged with an upwardlyextending latch post 43 on a bracket arm 44 which is attached at 45 to the upper end portion of the post 33. A nut 46 in threaded engagement with the upper end portion of the latch post 43 may be screwed downwardly onto the latching member 42 so as to exert sufficient downward pressure thereon to prevent its accidentally disengaging the latch post 43. . The posts 28 and 33 may be stayed or braced to each other by an adjustable tie rod 47. The overhanging arm 27 may take various structural forms. In the example shown, it comprises a plurality of sections firmly secured together to provide a strong and rigid entity. Thus, the arm 27 comprises an inner end section 48, Fig. 1, having a vertical sleeve portion 48a mounted on a portion of the post 28 above a flxed position collar 49 on the latter. The collar 49 also may serve as an attaching means for one end of the tie rod 47. The inner end section 48 of the arm 27 is attached, as at 50 and 51, to a spacing section 52 which is attached at 53 and 54 to an intermediately located main or carrier section 55 by which the spindles 18 are sudported. The spindles IO are journaled in vertically spaced upper and lower anti-friction bearings 56 and 57, respectively, which are firmly attached, bv suitable fastening means 58 to the carrier section 55. As appears from Fig. 4, each upper bearing 56 may be a roller-bearing type unit and the spindle may be supported against downward axial movement relative to this bearing unit by the thrust against the top of a downwardly tapering inner ring element 56a of the bearing unit of a collar,59 which is flxed by a key 60 on t-he spindle directly above the bearing uriit. The inner ring element 56a turns with the spi-ndle on the rollers 61 in the outer ring element 56b of the bearing unit, the latter being fixed in position on the carrier sectioil- 55 of the supporting arm 27 as hereinbefore described. A cover .62 of annular form may be provided on the top of the bearing unit 56 to prevent spilhng or throwing of oil or other lubricant from the bearing unit during Totation of the spindle. The cover may be retained against upward displacement by the collar 59 In the example shown, the collar 59 also is the hub of a sorocket 63 for rotating the spindle about its axis. The lower bearing unit 57 preferably is of a type that need not be lubricated in service, this for the reason that lubricants applied thereto would be likely to carbonize and cause seizure in the high temperature to which the lower bearing unit will be subjected in service. The bearing unit 57 has an inner bushing, indi.cated at 57a, of a composition including graphi-te or other suitable known substance having good lubricating - properties. An ofl guard 64, which may be of any suitable known construction, is mounted on the @pindle directly over the bearing unit 57 to cett@dh any oil or lubricant running down the .,spindle. 2,5861070 6 the spindled giid the stirrers depending from such spindles in predetermined suitable positions along a line extending transversely of the forehearth channel when the arm 27 is in its operative position as shown in Mgs. 1 and 2 and the spindles are rotatably supported on the carrier section by the bearing units 56-57 in the relative positions shown in Mg. 1. Shims 65 may be used at the joints between the inner end section 48 and the 10 spacing section 52 and between the spacing section 52 and the carrier section 55, respectively, if needed in any installation for positioning of the carrier section 55 transversely of a forehearth. 15 The latching member 42 is carried by an end section 66 of the arm 27, this end section being attached at 67 and 68 to the outer end of the carrier section 55. Shims also may be used at the joints 69 and 70 between the carrier section 20 55 and the outer end section 66 of the arm 27 to position the latching member 42 precisely as desired for engagement with the latch post 43. Driving of the spindles in unison about their respective axes may be effected by a chain 71 25 which is trained about the sprockets 63 on the several spindles, idle sprockets 72, 73 and 74 and a drive sprocket 75. The idle sprockets 72 and 73 are mounted on upright studs 76 and 77, respectively, on the overhanging arm 27 in the positions 3o s wn r n o each other and to the several sprockets 63. The idle sprocket 74 is carried by an upstanding stud 78 on a bracket arm 79 projecting from and fastened, as by a split-collar type clamp 79a, on the upper end of the por35 tion 48a of the arm 27 so as to turn with the latter about the axis of the post 28. The drive sprocket 75 is fast on the upper end portion 80 of a vertical shaft 81 which extends downwardly through a bore 82 of the post 28 which is tubular 40 for its full length as shown, Flg. 1. The shaft 8 1 may be journaled in an antifriction bearing unit assembly, indicated at 83, in the upper end portion of the tubular post 28, provision being made as is conventional to resist any downward thrust 45 or tendency of the shaft. The shaft 8 I is connected at the lower end of the tubular post 28 through an overload release clutch 84 with a drive shaft 85 which may be rotated by power from any suitable source (none shown). This 50 source obviously may be a conventional motor and speed reduction unit and the P-rrangement may be stich as to turn the driving shaft 85 and the parts operated thereby in the direction desired, as in a clockwise'direction as viewed look55 ing downward at the top of the upper end portion 80 of the shaft 8 I in Fig. 1. A conventional oil seal unit 86 may be mounted on the shaft 81 above the collar portion 79a of the bracket arm 79 to prevent oil being thrown or forced up60 wardly from the bearing assembly. As shown in Fig. 1, the chucks of the left hand and middle stirrers have their index elements 12 directly in line and facing each other while the index element 12 of the chuck of the right hand o5 stirrer is turned away from the middle stirrer and also is in line transversely of the forehearth channel. This arrangement positions screw threaded lower end portions, 7b, of the stirrers in the desired angularly related positions is respect 70 to one another for effective coaction with one another in stirring and acting on the glass in the 'forehearth channel when the stirrers are rotated about their respective axe5 by the driving means described. Thib carrler section 65 of the arm 27 will support 75 The attaching portion 13 of each of the stirrer
[4]7 chucks -is- provided,with@ a transverse @opening 8T I Fig. 4, 'M-its-side -throtigh 'which- a@ laterally turned @end-, or hook- of a suitable @irorr rod' or implement (notshown) maybe inserted-when@ manually ef @fepted- movement of the -chuck and- its -attached stirrer relative to the chuck-supporting spindle is to be-effected@ as in uncoupling the chuck from its spindle for replacement of @ the - stirrer. When such replacement is to be effected, the- driving means is stopped-to stop rotation-of the stirrers. The r6ds @2 0 which lock. the spindle coupling elements to the chuck coupling heads are:loosened. The chucks a-re - turned by manually operated tongs or like tool to position the open sl6ts@ 16 in, the,@eliuck, cbupling heads at the upstream -side thereof. The forehearth@ cover blocks 5-and 6 then -aremovedapart. Thechucks-with-theirattached stirrers- then are uncoupled from their spindles@ in succession by use of the aforesaid rod or@,.Mplement having a latera;lly turneid end portion or hook insertabla through the opening 87 of eagh chuck in its tum, the rod then being manipulated- as a lever to. lift the chuck and its stirrer: slightly@ relative, to their spindle, then lat" erally to free the chuck from its spindle, and then downwardly to lower the, stirrer until it rests upright on the fioor of theforehearth channel. V,Ihen all three stirrers have been disconnected from their spindles in this manner, the nut 46 may be loosened to@permit disengagement of the latching hook.42-from thelatching post 43. The free er d; of the arm 2 7, carrying the spindles and the parts of the drive mounted thereon, then may be swung rearwardly of the forehearth channel as a unit to the position shown in Fig. 3, the supportin groller2grollingonthe-support3D. The upper ends of the chucks. on the stirrers then will be freely accessible.- A cooperative coupling fl.ange 88 on the lower end of a cable 89 of a hoist 9 9 having a carirage 9 1, movably supported by the wheel assemblies 92 on an overhead horizontal rail 93.now is attached to the coupling head 14 of the:chuck of the stirrer next to the @lef t hand side of the forehearth channel as viewed in Fig. 1. The. hoist is then operated, as by the crank handle 94,of the remote control operating rod 95, Fig.@ 1, to raise the attached chuck and its stirrer vertically from the forehearth to a level at which it may, be@-moved to one side of the forehearth by an appropriate movement of the hoist 91 on the overhead rail 93 without striking any structure on the forehearth roof. The removed stirrer then is detached from the hoist and the operations just described are repeated until all the- stirrers to,be replaced have beenremoved from the forehearth. A preheated stirrer having its chuck@ applied thereto then is attached to the hoist and the latter is manipulated to lower the stirrer slowly into the glass in the, forehearth to position the stirrer approximately in line downstream from its spindle a@nd so that the open slot in the chuck coupling7 is turned upstream or toward its spindle. After the required number of replacement stirrers have been si-milarly placed in t-he forehearth channel, the. arm 2 7 is returned to its active position. and latched in place. The stirrers then are raised in turn, beginning with t-he right hand stirrer in the channel as. viewed in Fig. 1, and are c6upled to. their spindles. They. then should be ttirned to. proper angularly adjusted positions and 16cked to their spindles 'm the manner and by the means hereinbefore described. The rod having an end portion engageable with the openings, 87 iD- the chuck coupling heads may be. used to raise 2,586,079 stirrers@ to coupl them to their spindles. The e cover bl'ocks of: the forehearth-roof structure are then repldced. It thus is apparent that@ removal'and replac@6 E, ment of heavy refractory stirrers fr'om Etnd In a forehearth have been greatly facilitated by the present invention and that the operations invblved which require manual actibn may be effected without hazard or physicai discomfort to 10 the workman employed. The number of stirrers in an assembly to be supported by an overhanging arm as herein described may be varied according to the width of the forehearth for which intended or because of individual preference or particular service@con I - 1 di-tions. The illustrative structure shown in the drawings and hereinbefore described may be varied and modified otherwise in many respects whi.ch now will be obvious to those skilled in the 20 art. I, thereforei do not wish to be limit6d to such details.
