Hatch Associates Ltd.

Hatch Ltd.

Stadium Consultants International, Inc.

Musicdome Ventures, Inc.

Felim Patrick McCaffrey

Brian Brisbin

Peter Sheffield

Robert J Veenstra

Nils W Voermann

Keith E Joiner

Sean Southall

Maurizio Darini

Clarence A Nichols

Brett T Emery

Michael Trovant

Lucas Alexander Brown

Tony Cesta

Jimmy Sarvinis, Jr

Katharine Elizabeth Stokman-Connell

Blair Nakatsu

A chill mold is used to cool molten material to form a casting. A support holds the chill mold so that a bottom of the chill mold is elevated. A baffle is arranged to divert a generally horizontal flow of cooling air upwardly to impinge the bottom of the chill mold. A plurality of chill molds may be aligned generally in a row, and at least one fan may be arranged at an end of the row to direct the flow of cooling air underneath the chill molds. The size and the vertical position of the baffles may be varied along the row, so as to generally equalize convective cooling rates among the chill molds in the row.

Cooling of chill molds using baffles

Binding systems are described for applying compressive forces on the refractory hearth and/or refractory sidewall of a circular furnace having an outer metal shell which may be segmented. One preferred binding system comprises a tensioning band having one or more segments which extends around the furnace hearth and/or sidewall, with a resilient connection being provided between the opposite ends of the band and, where the band is segmented, resilient connections are also provided between the ends of adjacent segments. Another preferred binding system comprises a plurality of pivoting members provided around the circumference of the furnace. Each pivoting member is acted upon by a force-generating member which applies a controlled amount of force to the pivoting member and causes it to apply a compressive force to the hearth.

Split shell circular furnace and binding systems for circular furnaces

A system is disclosed for lowering ('slipping') and/or raising ('back slipping') electrodes relative to an electrode column. The system includes an electrode column having at least one slipping sleeve and a power clamp, each of which apply a radial clamping force to the electrode. The magnitudes of the clamping forces are selected such that application of a downwardly directed axial force on the one or more slipping sleeves, in combination with the weight of the electrode, are sufficient to overcome the resistive force of the power clamp, resulting in downward movement of the electrode without release of the clamping forces. Electrode columns having two movable slipping sleeves are also capable of raising the electrode relative to the furnace without release of the clamping forces.

Electrode column

Apparatus for transferring hot material between a preprocessing plant and an electric furnace has an enclosed housing extending between the plant and the furnace and within which a controlled atmosphere is maintained, at least one bin having at least one compartment receiving feedstock material at a delivery station from the plant, mechanism for shuttling the at least one bin along a path within the housing between the delivery station and discharge tubes above and leading into the furnace at distributed locations, and discharge mechanism for dropping material from each compartment into a discharge tube. The path may be horizontal, vertical, or inclined to suit the relative locations of the preprocessing plant and the battery. Each bin is usually each divided to feed multiple tubes. The shuttling mechanism may be a hoist or a railway or cable span, and the discharge mechanism is typically a means for tipping the bin. The bin should be such that the depth of material therein during transit is sufficiently low to limit its coagulation of the material in transit, if this is a problem.

Transfer of hot feed materials from a preprocessing plant to an electric smelting or melting furnace

A furnace binding and adjustment system for maintaining a refractory furnace hearth under compression utilizes a plurality of buckstays connected at their upper and lower ends by tie members. A fluid-pressurized tensioning device, preferably a hydraulics device, is provided at the ends of at least some of the tie members to permit some relative movement between the tie member end and the buckstay to permit adjustment of compressive forces applied to the refractory hearth. The use of multiple hydraulic devices permits simultaneous activation of the tensioning devices, and also permits the hydraulic pressure in the cylinders to be accurately adjusted and monitored from a remote location.

Furnace binding and adjustment systems

An electrode seal for an electric arc furnace comprises an annular support ring having an internal diameter substantially greater than the diameter of the electrode, and which is secured to the furnace roof by a plurality of mounting feet. The annular support ring has an upper annular sealing surface on which is supported an annular sealing ring having an internal diameter which is approximately the same as the diameter of the electrode to form a substantial seal therewith. The sealing ring has a lower annular sealing surface which engages the upper sealing surface of the support ring, while allowing limited sliding movement of the sealing ring along its lower annular sealing surface.

Electrode seal for arc furnace

A sports/recreation facility is provided with seating bank around a playing area (,), and a grass playing surface (,) which is withdrawable from the playing area. The playing area is defined within one end of a shallow dock (,), the dock extending over the playing area and also extending sufficiently outside the playing area in one direction to define an area outside the playing area and seating banks having dimensions at least equal to the playing area. A shallow barge (,) is floatable within the dock and supports the playing surface for movement within the dock between the playing area and the outside area. The water (,) for introduction into the dock is stored within the barge. The dock extends beneath a bank of seating (,) at one side of the playing area, which bank may be formed as a movable unit with the barge providing storage for an additional body of water beyond that needed to float the barge in the dock, which water may be expelled from the barge into the dock so as to elevate the tank beneath the movable bank of seating, thus lifting the seating bank on the barge for movement with the barge between at least two alternatives locations relative to the remaining banks of seating and the playing area.

Multi-configuration sports/recreation facility

Auditorium

A multipurpose arena has a platform providing a performing, playing or exhibition area which can be raised or lowered to allow for different configurations of banked seating. The raising and lowering is achieved by displacement of air in or out of an air vessel formed beneath the platform, either by a hull floating in a well which can be emptied of water by air pressure or scuttled, or by a skirt depending from the platform and sealed to underlying structure. If a skirt is used, space can be reclaimed within a structure inside the skirt which provides a reaction surface for the air pressure. The skirt may be sealed to the underlying structure by a water seal in a trough, or by sealing the lower edge of a telescoping skirt to the structure.

Multi-purpose arena

An electrode seal for arc furnaces, particularly arc furnaces for steel making, has a first element in the form of a water cooled copper sleeve lining an aperture in the furnace roof for passage of an electrode, the sleeve having an upper surface engaged by a lower surface of a horizontally slidable seal ring formed by beryllium copper water cooled segments which abut end-to-end to form a close fitting collar around the electrode having an internal diameter the same as the external diameter of the electrode. The segments are spring loaded radially against each other and so as to center them over the aperture, so as to accommodate any minor oversize or irregularities of the electrode, as well as damping horizontal movement of the latter, and are also spring-urged downwardly against the sleeve. Water passages in the segments and in the sleeve are connected in series, and water piping and spring loading apparatus are arranged to leave part of the periphery of the seal free, allowing close grouping of electrodes.

Electrode seal for arc furnaces

A structure is provided having two opposing nested pairs of outwardly convex roof arches mounted for rotation about a generally horizontal axis. Each pair of nested roof arches can be rotated about its axis from a lowered nested condition to a raised condition where the inner portion of one arch partially overlaps the other arch of the nested pair. In a preferred arrangement the arches extend between supports on diametrically opposing sides of a stadium building, which has an upper opening. The arches in their raised condition cover the stadium opening and in their lowered condition maintain the stadium substantially open to the elements. The turning moment exerted by the arches is sustained through struts by floats within liquid contained in caissons forming a foundation of the structure. The floats are shaped and guided to follow a path within the liquid as the associated arch rotates such as to substantially balance the turning moment of the latter as they move. A double acting hydraulic cylinder arrangement is connected to the arches at a distance from their horizontal axes to move them between their raised and lowered positions.

Retractable roof for stadium structure

A structure is provided having two opposing nested pairs of outwardly convex roof arches mounted for rotation about a generally horizontal axis. Each pair of nested roof arches can be rotated about its axis from a lowered nested condition to a raised condition where the inner portion of one arch partially overlaps the other arch of the nested pair. In a preferred arrangemnt the arches extend between supports on diametrically opposing sides of a stadium building, which has an upper opening. The arches in their raised condition cover the stadium opening and in their lowered condition maintain the stadium substantially open to the elements. The turning moment exerted by the arches is sustained through struts by floats within liquid contained in caissons forming a foundation of the structure. The floats are shaped and guided to follow a path within the liquid as the associated arch rotates such as to substantially balance the turning moment of the latter as they move. A double acting hydraulic cylinder arrangement is connected to the arches at a distance from their horizontal axes to move them between their raised and lowered positions.

A portable device is provided for turning billets supported on stands for inspection. The device has a frame, a crank arm mounted in the frame for movement through a quadrant by a hydraulic cylinder, a billet engaging bracket on the end of the crank, and further billet engaging frames extending from the frame to either side of the crank so as to sustain on adjacent billets the reaction from the crank arms as its bracket turns a billet. The turning action is improved by inclusion of a lost motion link between the crank arm and the cylinder. To make the device easier and lighter to handle, it is spring suspended from a movable stand which also supports a power pack for operating the cylinder.

Billet turning device

A continuous centrifugal casting machine employs a rotating water cooled mould in which a tubular mould cavity is formed by a number of pallet conveyors, each having an upper run defining a part cylinder. The conveyors are driven so that the tubular mould which they form moves with the casting, thus eliminating relative movement between the mould and the casting. The conveyors are housed inside a rotating drum so that centrifugal force causes molten metal such as steel poured against the wall of the mould cavity at one end to form a comparatively thin walled tube which is withdrawn from the other end of the mould cavity. The tube may be spirally slit to form sheet.

Method of and apparatus for continuous centrifugal casting

In a bridge crane, a rigid rectangular crane bridge frame is supported on a main runway by a truck at each corner, and in order to eliminate loadings on the trucks due to distortion of the runway, the trucks on one side of the bridge support the bridge frame through interlinked levers forming part of an equalizing linkage.

Growing community of inventors

Toronto, Canada

Felim Patrick McCaffrey