Southwire Company, LLC

National Steel Corporation

Howard E Niehaus

Winfield M Hass

James L Pack

Sidney B Hall

Frederick O Traenkner

Homer G Alpha

This disclosure relates to a method of and apparatus for lifting a load utilizing an existing bridge or gantry-type overhead crane in combination with a portable lifting beam or Strongback adapted to be lifted into position and partially supported by the existing bridge crane. The portable lifting beam includes a horizontally extending main beam having a telescoping section to reduce the longitudinal extent of the main beam to a dimension less than the distance between the parallel rails upon which the bridge crane is supported, whereby the lifting beam may be raised and lowered by the bridge crane between the parallel rails while being disposed perpendicular thereto. Once the lifting beam is lifted above the parallel rails, the hydraulic means are actuated to extend the telescoping section from its retracted position to increase the longitudinal extent of the main beam to a dimension equivalent to the distance between the parallel rails whereby the portable lifting beam or Strongback may be disposed thereon. The bridge crane and the Strongback are operable in tandem to lift a load, and include load cell means for correlating the operation of the respective lifting means to the bridge crane and Strongback whereby a load may be apportioned therebetween.

Portable overhead crane and method of installing it

This disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for continuously homogenizing and quenching aluminum billets in an in-line tandem system. The billets are conveyed into a furnace and transported through a series of stages therein where they are heated to obtain a uniform crystalline structure, and then immediately conveyed into and through a quench chamber where they are rapidly cooled to obtain improved metallurgical properties. The quench chamber includes a series of ring-shaped spray headers having a plurality of spray nozzles disposed thereabout for emitting a cooling fluid evenly about the billets as they pass through the rings in order to prevent warpage. The spray rings are vertically adjustable by means of a common linkage so that they will be concentric with respect to the longitudinal axes of billets of different diameters adapted to pass therethrough. Valve means are provided for each of the spray rings for varying the degree of quench from the inlet to the outlet of the chamber in order to obtain a permanent set with a quick quench as the billet enters the chamber. Warpage is further inhibited by controlling the rate of billet travel through the chamber.

Method and apparatus for continuously homogenizing and quenching

This disclosure relates to a method of and apparatus for lifting a load utilizing an existing bridge or gantry-type overhead crane in combination with a portable lifting beam or Strongback adapted to be lifted into position and partially supported by the existing bridge crane. The portable lifting beam includes a horizontally extending main beam having a telescoping section to reduce the longitudinal extent of the main beam to a dimension less than the distance between the parallel rails upon which the bridge crane is supported, whereby the lifting beam may be raised and lowered by the bridge crane between the parallel rails while being disposed perpendicular thereto. Once the lifting beam is lifted above the parallel rails, the hydraulic means are actuated to extend the telescoping section from its retracted position to increase the longitudinal extent of the main beam to a dimension equivalent to the distance between the parallel rails whereby the portable lifting beam or Strongback may be disposed thereon. The bridge crane and the Strongback are operable in tandem to lift a load, and include load cell means for correlating the operation of the respective lifting means of the bridge crane and Strongback whereby a load may be apportioned therebetween.

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Owensboro, KY, United States of America

Howard E Niehaus