COKING VESSEL UNHEADING DEVICE AND SUPPORT STRUCTURE

摘要

1. An unheading device for a vertical coking vessel supported by a support structure for the coking vessel, the device comprising a head unit adapted for removable attachment to a lower flanged opening of the vertical vessel, a lifting frame unit adapted for supporting the head unit during movement thereof; and multiple elongated vertically extendable actuators having upper and lower ends and being attached to and supporting the lifting frame and being capable of moving the lifting frame so as to mate and unmate the head unit to and from the lower flanged opening of the coking vessel, the actuators being attached to the lifting frame at their lower ends and to the stationary support structure at their upper ends, whereby the loads from the head unit and lifting frame transferred by the actuators are borne by the stationary support structure and not by the coking vessel. 2. An unheading device according to Claim 1, the upper ends of the vertically extendable actuators being pivotally attached to an embedment plate which is rigidly attached to the stationary support structure for the vessel. 3. An unheeding device according to Claim 1, wherein the head unit includes a cover plate fixedly attached onto a cover/cradle skid, said cover plate being adapted for removable attachment to the lower flanged opening of the coking vessel the lifting frame unit being adapted for supporting the cover/cradle skid of said head unit during movement thereof, said lifting frame unit including an extendable chute unit attached to the lifting frame unit lower side; and a cover/cradle skid unit, including dual horizontal actuators adapted for moving said head unit laterally from the lifting frame unit to a side location on a stationary platform portion of the stationary support structure relative to said lower flanged opening, whereby the head unit can be controllably lowered by the multiple vertical extendable actuators and moved aside by the cover/cradle skid unit to permit removing accumulated material through the lower flanged opening of the vertical vessel and the extendable chute unit, after which the head unit can be returned laterally, lifted and reattached pressure-tightly to the vessel lower flanged opening. 4. An unheading device according to Claim 3, wherein said head unit includes vertical alignment means for aligning the cover plate with the lower flanged opening of the vessel during lifting of the head unit by the lifting frame unit. 5. An unheading device according to Claim 3, wherein said extendable chute unit includes a seal for sealing the upper end of the chute to the lower flanged opening of the coking vessel. 6. An unheading device according to Claim 3, wherein said extendable chute unit includes an annular seal for sealing the chute to an opening in the support structure platform.