Dravo Corporation

Stanley M Coulter

A circular traveling grate machine includes rotatable, inner and outer, rail mounted, side frame members forming the sidewalls of an annular hearth region therebetween. A plurality of individually tiltable pallets are positioned in the hearth region and are movable with the side frames along a circular pallet trackway which is positioned within the inner and outer rails of the side frames. A stationary hood is mounted above the hearth region carrying sealing flanges at its lateral edges which extend downwardly in a pair of liquid troughs carried by the rotatable side frames. A stationary windbox is situated below the pallets and is also sealed off by way of lower liquid seals coacting with the side frames. The pallets carry a pair of rotatable hanger brackets at the leading ends thereof which are latched to the undersides of the inner and outer side frames. The trailing ends of the pallets are supported by a pair of wheels which travel on rails in respective tunnel-like passages, isolated on either side of the hearth region by mechanical seals. The upper and lower liquid seals provide a process zone which is hermetically sealed around its perimeter from the atmosphere. Additional mechanical seals in the area of the discharge zone isolate the lower liquid seals and prevent undue turbulence therein due to pressure changes in the transitional area from the process zone to the discharge zone.

Circular traveling grate machine

A pallet construction for use in a circular traveling grate machine of the type having rotatable inner and outer side frames which move with the pallets on either side thereof. Various restraining and float means associated with the pallet hanger brackets and their respective axles, as well as with one of the pallet wheels and its respective axle, restrain and permit relative movement of the pallet axles in given radial and circumferential directions, whereby forces and moments are transmitted by the pallets as they mechanically couple the inner and outer side frames. The aforesaid restraining and float means also accommodate the differentials in thermal expansion and contraction between the pallets and the cooler side frames of the traveling grate. The first axles and hanger brackets include spherical antifriction means which permits the pallets to rotatably tilt during the burden discharge operation in situations where the first axles are axially misaligned due to thermal sagging. Further included are spring-loaded sealing pads which accommodate for thermal expansion and seal off the lateral gaps between adjacent pallets so as to reduce the leakage of gas from the pallet wheel tunnels therebetween. A compact lubrication system is also provided for sequentially lubricating and flushing the hanger bracket antifriction means and the pallet wheel bearings.

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Wexford, PA, United States of America

Stanley M Coulter