Method and equipment for removing packing coke from baking chambers for

Abstract

A system for removing packing coke from baking chambers of a furnace for baking carbon bodies includes a crane mounted for movement along a rail, a silo supported by the crane, a suction tube connected to the silo and insertable into packing in a furnace baking chamber, and structure for supplying vacuum to the suction tube to remove the packing coke therethrough from the chamber into the silo. The vacuum structure includes a closed vacuum duct extending parallel to the rail, the vacuum duct having an upper slide surface and a plurality of valves spaced along the slide surface. A stationary vacuum source is connected to the vacuum duct and creates therein a vacuum. A sliding box is supported by the crane and is movable thereby along the vacuum duct over the valves on the slide surface. Each valve is openable by a respective pneumatic cylinder. An activating rail is mounted on the sliding box and is operable upon movement of the sliding box along with vacuum duct to activate the pneumatic cylinders to open respective valves, thereby communicating the vacuum from the stationary vacuum source through the vacuum ducts, the opened valves and the sliding box to the silo and the suction tube. The sliding box has supporting wheels rolling on the vacuum duct and guide wheels positioning the sliding box on the vacuum duct. The sliding box has a sliding gasket sealingly contacting the slide surface. The sliding gasket includes a rubber skirt into which is fitted an elastic gasket of a material with a low coefficient of friction and sliding along the slide surface.